Good Man
by TheNotSoNiceLibrarian
Summary: Their meeting was accidental. Neither wanted anything to do with the other; all they wanted was to be left alone. He was a problem that she knew would come and bite her later. She was a weakness he couldn't afford. Yet, despite their determination; it seemed that Fate had other plans for them and maybe...just maybe, the outcome would prove better then they ever imagined.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own IY or YYH...**_

_**A/N: First... I am so sorry for my absence lately... life is getting in the way I guess. And I know, I know; I totally should NOT be starting another fic... trust me I know. However, I'm currently experiencing massive writer's block (again) with Lies by Omission... And while listening to some music on the way home for work... this piece popped into my head and has more or less refused to go away. So, in the hopes of clearing up some creative space in my head for LBO... I'm going to work on this for a bit. Again, as with any new fic... I have no idea how long I'll go with this fic before my muse gets side-tracked again. (Stoopid A.D.D. Muse... .)**_

_**In any case, I hope you enjoy...**_

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><p><span><strong>Good Man<strong>

**I want to be a good man, I want to see God**

**I want to be faithful but I know that I'm not**

**I want to be a good man, I want to do right**

**I don't wanna be a criminal for the rest of my life**

**(_Good Man-Devour the Day)_**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

**.**

She looked up at the figure that stood a few feet from her; he stood, half turned away, seeming to blend into the very shadows of the dark alley she had been dragged into.

It had been just her luck that she had become the focus of a couple low level demons who wanted to use her as a shield against the being that stood before her.

She didn't so much as twitch as the daiyoukai – there was no way he was anything less – casually flicked blood from his katana. Seemingly without any effort, the bodies of her attackers burst into flame; instantly reduced to nothing more than ash.

"Are you injured," he inquired, his voice cold and emotionless, though Kagome doubted strongly that he honestly cared one way or another.

"No." She replied, very carefully climbing to her feet. Oddly enough, as large and imposing as he had first appeared; in reality, he was only as tall as she was. Not that that made him any less dangerous.

Size meant little in the demon world; only strength and power were respected.

"Thank you," she said, giving him a deep bow.

The demon tilted his head slightly and gave her a slow, measured blink; almost as if he was puzzled….or perhaps he was just contemplating the best way to eliminate her.

Kagome barely resisted the urge to gulp; at that angle, his eyes glowed a hellish red.

"For saving me," she clarified nervously, forcing the words past the lump of fear lodged in her throat; "I know that it wasn't your objective or intention; but thank you never the less."

The demon watched her silently, his eyes narrowing slightly; suddenly Kagome felt something slither along her mental shields seeking a weak spot.

After all the times her mind had been over taken by demons or dark priestesses; she had trained long and hard to improve and strengthen her mental defenses. After years of work, the walls around her mind were tall and strong; though she held no illusions that should he want to, a demon of his caliber could shatter her shields easily.

Unnerved, she slowly backed away, her eyes never straying from him; not that watching him would help should he decide to dispose of any witnesses.

He had moved so fast before that even the demons who had grabbed her hadn't seen him coming; how could she, a mere human, hope to track his movements?

She was more than a little surprised when she got around the corner without incident; she half expected him to have attacked her or preformed some sort of memory wipe. Demons were not generally so…well-tempered.

Still, she didn't feel even remotely safe again until she felt the familiar brush of her own energy as she passed through the shrine's protective barrier.

Once safely tucked away behind her wards; she heaved a sigh of relief.

By all that was holy….that was close.

She had always wondered if demons lived in her era; now she had her answer. It was just sheer dumb luck that such knowledge literally tackled her and dragged her off into an alley.

One moment she had been walking blissfully home from the grocery store; the next, she had felt the sudden and familiar twang of demonic energy, and before she could even turn…she had been tackled.

Where the hell had they come from? Honestly it was like the blasted things just popped out of thin air.

She flopped down against the base of the Tree of Ages and let out a huff. InuYasha was right; she attracted trouble like a magnet.

To make matters worse; she had dropped her bags when she was grabbed, so now she didn't even have the groceries she went out for….and she would be damned if she left the safety of the shrine until day break.

Which was a silly thing to think; it wasn't like light would make much of a difference… demons weren't necessarily nocturnal. Pity they didn't burst into flames like movie vampires did….

Not that she had anything against demons; in fact she missed HER demons a great deal….but without the protection that InuYasha and them provided; Kagome had no delusions about what her chances were if she had to defend herself, especially against a daiyoukai.

If she hadn't been so startled by the random attack, she could have purified those low level demons without a problem.

Her rescuer though… he was another matter.

She had been fortunate that he hadn't been interested in _her_ in the slightest; his target had been the low level demons.

She knew without a shadow of a doubt, that if that demon had felt incline to kill her; there would have been nothing she could have done to stop it.

At least, not without a LOT of preparation.

The sheer speed of her rescuer was amazing. Even Koga hadn't been able to move as fast. She wouldn't have been able to manage any sort of defense in the time it would take for him to skewer her.

It was probably just as well that she had been too startled to focus her powers; had she indeed purified those demons, the daiyoukai would undoubtedly have seen her performance….

From experience she knew demons did not take kindly to Mikos…. Even demon-tolerant ones such as herself.

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><p>Months passed before Kagome saw her accidental rescuer again; though honestly she would have preferred to NOT have seen him again.<p>

She had gone to the park with her mother to watch one of Souta's soccer games. Now in high school, her little brother was quite the athlete and a talented soccer player.

It was there, sitting on the sun warmed grass with a soft spring breeze tugging gently at her hair; that a strange scent made her nose twitch.

It wasn't strong, in fact, at first Kagome dismissed it as being a whiff of someone's cologne.

Yet, there it was again.

Such an odd scent, and worse, it made her instincts tingle and alarm bells sound in her head.

She looked around; casually so she wouldn't draw attention to herself.

When she caught the scent again; she stood, gently telling her mother that she was going to stretch her legs a bit.

Kagome moved slowly through the throngs of people that had shown up to watch the game. Her eyes scanned all the strange faces looking for….what?

She didn't have a clue.

She wasn't even sure if it was a 'scent' she was detecting. With the warning bells going off in her head, Kagome suspected that the 'scent' wasn't so much of a physical sense as it was a psychic one.

Every now and then she would catch the subtle scent that had tickled her nose; the further away from the crowd she got, the stronger the 'scent' became.

She paused at the edge of the soccer field; to go any further would be asking for trouble. From there, the park broke off into various forest pathways for hikers or bicyclers... She would be leaving the safety of the masses and essentially walking into the proverbial lion's den.

Common sense warned her to go back, to return to the protection of the group; yet, her natural curiosity begged her to find out the source of the strange scent.

It was so familiar… yet… as she stepped away from the field and started down one of the trails; nervousness assaulted her.

Even as that strange scent tantalized her; it frightened her on some primal level.

She moved down the secluded forest path, her sneakers occasionally making a soft scuffing noise on the paved ground.

Around her the forest seemed to grow darker, more menacing.

She paused as a sudden rush of adrenaline urged her to rush back to the safety of the soccer game.

It took a considerable amount of will power to deny her instincts, they were so intense. Whatever it was she was detecting; it was close….

Instead of running away like her instincts wanted, she slowly made her way over to a rock just off the path; a stream gently flowed next to it.

If not for the strange, menacing aura that she was sensing; the scene before her would have been beautiful and picturesque.

Still, despite the danger, she forced herself to casually sit down on the boulder; trying to appear as casual as possible.

Even if she was in danger, running was foolish. She knew this without a doubt; predators loved to chase down prey…. If she ran, she would be instantly labeled as 'prey'.

She gazed at the moving water in front of her; trying to get her heart rate to settle and letting her thoughts drift.

As they always did when she was alone, her thoughts drifted to her friends in the past… were they ok? What had happened to them? Did Sango and Miroku finally tie the knot? Was her sweet little Shippo still annoying the hell out of InuYasha? And what of her beloved hanyo? Did he miss her at all? Had he moved on?

Her heart clenched at the thought. She loved the stupid mutt more then she should; he was her best friend, despite a somewhat rocky start…she knew he loved her as well. The problem was… she wasn't sure if he was IN love with her….or just loved her like a dear friend.

With everything he had gone through with Kikyo, it was a small wonder that he was cautious with his affections. Now, with Kikyo's spirit finally at rest, his heart could finally begin to heal.

Perhaps if Kagome had been able to stay with him, like she had intended; their mutual affection for each other would have blossomed into love…. But, with five hundred years separating her from InuYasha, she feared that the budding love they had been developing would never be given that chance.

Suddenly weary; she leaned back against the warm stone, her hands behind her head and closed her eyes. She didn't know why she let her mind wonder down that path; it always left her utterly depressed.

She focused on the soft sound of water over rock and the whispering of the breeze through leaves and let the sounds of nature sooth her spirit.

Still lying back; she opened her eyes to gaze up at the sky barely visible through the bright new forest greenery.

That's when she saw it… a dark figure, resting quietly in the top most tree branches; he would have been completely hidden from any other angle.

Her heart slammed in her chest as she suddenly realized why that 'scent' had been so familiar.

In the alley, barely noticeable under the over powering scent of blood, bile and burnt flesh… the subtle scent of wood smoke and cinnamon with undertones of cold… like the scent of snow or ice.

Swallowing hard, Kagome slowly got up; once again not taking her eyes off the predator that was now lounging in the trees.

For all appearances he seemed to be asleep… but it wouldn't be the first time a demon had pretended to be sleeping in order to deceive.

Yet, as she made her way cautiously back to the soccer field; no one jumped her from behind. She didn't sense anyone following her either.

"Are you ok, Kagome, dear?" Her mother asked when she sat back down, "You look awfully pale."

_No mama, _Kagome thought, _I'm not ok. Apparently demons do indeed live in this era and it's my nasty luck to have run into a powerful demon twice… and honestly, mama, though he hasn't done anything to me, and in fact he saved me from a bunch of low level demons…..he still scares the shit out of me. And from the looks of it, he's taken up residence in the park…isn't that peachy?_

"No, I'm fine mama," Kagome said, instead, "I guess I just need to get more sun then."

* * *

><p>She saw him numerous times after that; somehow easily able to spot his figure despite his smaller stature. Perhaps it was the strange way he dressed, or maybe the distinctive spikey flame-like hair, or even the dangerous 'tempt me and I will kill you without a second thought' aura he possessed.<p>

Whatever it was… her rescuer was easy to pick out of a crowd.

Didn't help that his friends – if a daiyoukai like him HAD friends – were just as distinctive and easy to spot; which meant that they were just as dangerous.

As a general rule; powerful demons did not make a habit of 'hanging out' with those weaker then themselves…unless, like Sesshomaru – their servant or wards accompanied them. However, none of the individuals Kagome saw with her demon appeared to be servants.

They were all too proud and alert. They all moved with an inhuman grace that belied their mortal appearance.

No, none of them were servants; which meant they were at all daiyoukai of some form.

Damn.

She had seen them in various places in the city; though generally they were out doors either near one of the parks or occasionally walking down the street.

Today, however, they were in a crowded mall…in the middle of Tokyo.

Double damn.

Figured it would be her dumb luck that a group of freaking daiyoukai – creatures that as a general rule are normally solitary beings- decided to shrug off the stereotype and go shopping on a busy Saturday afternoon!

The air fairly crackled around them as she watched with no small amount of awe as the masses of mall-goers parted instinctively for the group as they walked.

"What are you looking at?" Ayumi asked, coming to stand to her. Kagome jumped slightly and smiled sheepishly.

"N-nothing…" She stammered, instantly getting Yuka and Eri's attention.

With suspicious expressions; both young women came to the railing to see what had caught their friend's attention. Instantly, Yuka grinned.

"Ooooh, I see what caught your attention," she purred, looking directly at the small group that comprised her demon.

Wait…since when was he 'her' anything? She didn't even know his name… didn't WANT to know his name…. association with daiyoukai never, ever, ended well for the humans involved…look how much trouble little Rin was put in simply by being associated with Sesshomaru. The poor girl died…TWICE...and had been kidnapped so many times Kagome had lost count.

Nope, nope, association with Daiyoukai never ended well for humans; well…. Demon association rarely ended well for humans in general.

"You were looking at Shuichi Minamino," Yuka continued, breaking her out of her rambling thoughts, "Can't fault your taste. He is a grade A, fine specimen of a man."

_If he's in THAT group, then he's not a 'man',_ Kagome thought sarcastically, _He just looks like one._

Instead she asked, "Shuichi?"

Yuka pointed to the group, now lounging in the food court a level below them;

"The utterly delicious red-head with the dreamy emerald green eyes…."

Kagome blinked, "How in the world do you know his eye color?" she asked, "You can't see that from here!"

Yuka rolled her eyes, "Just because YOU have had your head in the sand for the last few years where men are concerned; doesn't mean the rest of us have. Everyone knows about Shuichi… there are clubs dedicated to the man's perfection."

Kagome snorted, "Careful Yuka," she said with a smirk, "You're beginning to sound like a fan-girl."

"For a chance to ogle that man," Yuka said, "I will sacrifice my dignity and be labeled…a 'fan-girl'."

Kagome shook her head and laughed at her friend, even as an uneasy feeling began to creep into her stomach.

"Aaaamen," Eri added, "I'd even put up with dealing with Urameshi and Kuwabara for such a chance."

Once again Kagome felt the gape that her travels had caused between her and her social life;

"Who are they?" she asked. Both Eri and Yuka rolled their eyes.

"Kagome you are soooo out of the loop, it's pitiful," they teased.

"Kuwabara is the taller carrot top with Shuichi," Eri supplied, "Urameshi is the one next to him with the slicked back hair and jean jacket. They are both trouble with a capital 'T'."

Kagome let her gaze sweep across the group of six, placing names to the faces she kept seeing; though, as often as she spotted her demon and his associates, she had never seen the taller man or the two women before.

"And the others?" she asked out of idle curiosity.

"The short guy in black, I don't know," Eri replied, "But I've seen him around, normally not too far away from either Shuichi or Urameshi; he's cute in a dark and brooding kinda way, but a total jerk. The dark haired girl with 'em is Keiko Yukimura; she use to date Urameshi for a while, or still does…it's hard to tell with them. Don't know what she saw in him since from what I understand Keiko is their school's class president, or rather was. They're 'bout our age, so I'm pretty sure they all graduated already. Guess it just goes to show that just 'cause a girl is smart doesn't mean she has good taste in men. The girl with the teal hair… I don't know her. Love that hair color though…. Wonder where she got it done…"

Kagome repressed a smirk, _that_ woman was definatley a demon; her coloring alone pegged her as 'nonhuman' same for the red-head they called 'Shuichi'.

Her smile faded though as her friends words sank in; Eri and them _knew_ these demons. Maybe not personally, but they had been around long enough that they were recognizable. Long enough to have…fan-clubs! They had apparently gone to SCHOOL here….though, youkai going to a human school was admittedly a new one on her.

That was beside the point though; point was….this was their HOME.

"Crap…." Kagome muttered as reality set in.

She had been hoping that it was just coincidence that she kept seeing her demon rescuer around town… she had been hoping that he was just on some sort of business and would eventually leave.

Apparently, that wasn't the case. Even if he did leave on occasion; he was still around often enough that humans recognized him and accepted his presence.

The other two had apparently been around for at least two decades….

She sighed irritably; this complicated the hell out of things.

She glanced back down at the group below them and started. Intense dark eyes locked with her own.

Her demon had spotted her….

_Hell and damnation…._

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><p><strong>AN: Alright, what do you think? Like I said, I have no idea where I'm heading with this... so I hope you enjoy while my inspiration lasts! LOL. Don't blame me for my writer's A.D.D... blame the musicians that write songs that inspire my muse and distract her from her work! LOL**

**As always...please REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own IY or YYH**

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><p><strong>Good Man<strong>

**Chapter 2:**

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><p>Hiei tensed when he felt someone watching him; which, admittedly enough, wasn't that uncommon of an occurrence whenever he accompanied Kurama to a public place. The fox attracted all sorts or unwanted attention.<p>

Hiei wouldn't even have accompanied them except that Yukina had decided to join them. His twin, though shy by nature, had developed a love of shopping here in the human world. Something he completely blamed on that damned Yukimura girl.

So here he was, sitting in a human building - a _crowded_ human building-surrounded by the overpowering scent of human decay.

He shuddered at the thought. How he loathed being in this world.

His hand twitched minutely, aching to reach for his sword. The scent of blood was much preferred to this scent of…of...rot that clung to all humans.

Weak, pathetic beings… he would never understand his companions fondness for the creatures.

"Cold, Hiei?" Yusuke asked with a smirk; garnet eyes flicked towards the Mazoku.

"I do not get cold, idiot," Hiei replied, turning back to watch the crowd.

He would never understand the human's need to pack themselves into a place like sardines.

It was during this casual sweep of the crowds that he found the source of his unease. He tensed as his gaze locked with pale sapphire and for a moment time stood still.

He recognized the human instantly; for whatever reason, his brief encounter with her had lingered in his mind.

She wasn't an overly stunning woman and certainly couldn't compare to any demoness he knew.

It bothered him, whatever 'thing' this human possessed that caught his attention. He didn't understand it.

Perhaps it was because she, and he was loathe to admit it, had startled him in that alley.

He had expected the typical screaming human that he would have to mind wipe.

Instead she had been silent. Pale, nearly silver-blue eyes had starred up at him in shock and the tiniest amount of fear.

Any moment he had expected her to come to her senses and begin screaming.

He didn't know why he had actually asked her anything, much less if she was injured; but the sound of his voice seemed to break her out of whatever paralysis the demon's attack had had on her.

She had moved slowly, so slowly; as if she was afraid some sudden movement would set him off.

As if HE would lower himself to such an extent as to kill some defenseless human woman.

Not that he had any particular resistance to the idea, he could care less what gender his prey was; however, he preferred stronger opponents. Humans were simply too weak to bother with; there was no sport in killing them.

As she had stood eye to eye with him, he had recognized the lingering fear was tempered with a healthy dose of respect.

It was odd having such a look directed at him without first having to beat the unholy hell out of the individual. Stranger still, was the weight of _knowledge_ in her eyes; almost as if she not only recognized him as a potential threat, but also… as a demon?

Which was ridiculous.

There was no way the woman would have known what he was. Demons were all but myths to the humans now.

Still, as she had given him a deep bow of respect – never taking her eyes off him, he noticed- he had allowed the Jagan to flare, reaching out to the woman….only to encounter a barrier around her mind.

Now, THAT had surprised him.

Very few creatures knew how to guard their minds. Even Yusuke, for all his power, was still an open book to the Jagan should Hiei choose to use it...yet this...this..._girl_ had managed to repel the Evil Eye.

Furthermore, she was a _human_; she should not have been able to repel the Eye at all.

Her soft 'thank you' had been another blow to his equilibrium. No one ever thanked HIM.

Her actions had shocked him to such an extent that he had just watched her as she edged back out of the alley.

Pride had prevented him from following the odd human to quench his curiosity. Obviously he had been around the Fox to long as he was developing some of the thief's bad habits.

As it was, he hadn't expected to see the woman again; after all, this was Tokyo...land of hundreds upon thousands of humans.

Yet there she was, standing so casually on the floor above him, looking down AT HIM with the same wide pale eyes filled with recognition.

At least her surprise seemed to mirror his own; though he was sure he masked his far better than she did.

"Something catch your attention, Hiei?" Kurama asked, leaning a little closer so the others wouldn't hear.

"I felt someone watching us," Hiei replied coolly, nodding his head toward the small group of young human women, "but apparently it's just more of your fan club".

Kurama's gaze flicked to the second level where a series of excited squeals broke out in response.

Hiei was strangely pleased that his human, though she smiled at her excited companions, didn't seem to share the same enthusiasm for having gained Kurama's attention, no matter how brief.

Was she perhaps immune to the Fox's strange effect on women?

Yet another oddity this human possessed.

Movement to his left made him glance away from the woman; his sister and Keiko were getting up, which meant another round of shopping was about to ensue.

He cast one last glance back toward the human woman, but her spot on the balcony was already empty.

Oddly disappointed, he followed after the others; resigning himself to what he was sure was some cleverly devised form of torture.

Sometime later, the two women were still going strong. All of the men, with the exception of Hiei, had been reduced to what amounted to a pack mule.

"We'll I guess we've done enough damage for one day," Keiko said with a grin, "right, Yukina?"

"I just want to stop by the chocolate store before we leave," Yukina replied, "then I'm done."

Finally.

He would have escaped to the safety of the building's rafters hours ago if not for his sister asking him to stay; stating that she was enjoying his company.

Damned if he could tell her no when she gave him that pleading look. The korime asked for so few things... he couldn't deny her something so simple when it seemed to bring her such happiness.

When they got to the sweet shop; he and the others stayed outside. Though he enjoyed a sweet every now and then same as anyone; the scent of so much in such a little area was overpowering to his demon senses.

Even standing next to the store was making his head ache.

As if the same thought occurred to both Kurama and Yusuke; they all moved to the center area. The large water fountain did wonders for cleaning the clotting scent of sweets from the air.

Suddenly, something slammed into his side with enough force to almost over balance him. He heard a soft feminine groan and thud as who-ever hit him landed on the floor.

He turned to glare at the fool who had run into him, a deep growl reverberating in his throat.

Pale sapphire eyes looked up at him with that familiar mixture of surprise, shock and fear…

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><p>.<p>

Looking up into the familiar face of her rescuer; Kagome could have kicked herself.

Why the hell wasn't she watching where she was going?! Trying to dodge Hojo and his friends was no excuse for not paying attention to her surroundings!

"I'm so sorry," she said, scrambling to her feet; this close, there was no denying that the male before her was indeed a demon. The aura around him was dark and malicious; his eyes, dark brown or black upon first assumption, were actually a deep garnet…. And were as cold and cruel as the Arctic tundra.

She hoped against hope, that the numerous human witnesses would temper the demon's response to her accidental assault on his person.

"Kagome!" Another voice called, causing Kagome to instinctively flinch at the sound.

Dammit, she had been hoping to avoid Hojo and his friends.

Alone, Hojo was still the sweet guy who crushed on her back in middle school; around his friends though, he turned into a total jackass.

"Hey, you ok?" He asked coming up behind her; Kagome hurriedly brushed herself off.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied, then glancing at the glaring demon, "I'm very sorry, please excuse my clumsiness."

"Why are you apologizing to this loser for?" Hojo demanded, reaching out to shove the smaller male.

His hand never made contact; all that could be heard was the sickening crunch of bone as the demon grabbed Hojo's wristed and crushed it.

Kagome hadn't even seen him move. One moment Hojo had been reaching out; the next, he was on his knees, his wrist in the demons hand.

Hojo howled in agony, causing everyone in the vicinity to take note of them; making Kagome want to melt into the floor.

"Hiei…" his red headed companion, the one named Shuichi, said his voice cool and calm, "You really should let him go."

"Yea," the dark haired male, Urameshi, stated, "You know Koenma will have a fit if you kill him….even if the idiot deserves it."

For a moment, Kagome was sure that the demon would not let Hojo go; she had seen this being in action…. He could kill Hojo and be gone before anyone even realized Hojo had stopped breathing.

"Hn," he finally grunted, shoving the human male away from him, "Pathetic."

Kagome breathed a small sigh of relief; she may not care for Hojo, but she certainly didn't want the idiot dead.

"You asshole," One of Hojo's friends shouted, "You broke his wrist! You're going to pay for that!"

Kagome instinctively backed away from the idiot who had spoken; she wanted nothing more than to disappear into the crowd.

Which, apparently, wasn't going to be as difficult as she thought, since it appeared that Hojo's friends all lacked any self-preservation instincts; the group –'gang'- of eight young men faced off against the her demon and his companions.

"This is a decidedly bad idea, gentlemen," Shuichi stated coolly, "I'd advice that you reconsider and take your friend to the ER to get his injury tended."

"Fuck you fag," one of the human's snarled, "You think you're so much better then all of us, you…."

Kagome tuned out the slew of obscenities and insults that spewed from the youth's mouth. She couldn't believe the things that man was saying! No wonder Hojo had gone from such a sweet guy and turned into such an asshole.

She was beginning to care less and less for the well-being of those guys. If that was the sort of disgusting hate that spewed from their mouths on a regular basis; then perhaps suffering some demon justice was their karma.

Kagome didn't wait around to watch the fight; though technically the demons were outnumbered… they were demons. There was no way Hojo's gang-o-idiots would be able to hurt them. Hell, she'd be surprised if they even managed to land a single punch.

So, instead, she found her friends and proceeded to drag them out of the mall.

"But, Kagome!" Eri said, "I wanted to see what happens!"

"They get their asses kicked," Kagome replied bluntly, "Severely."

"Which side?" Yuka asked, surprised at her friends harsh language.

_The humans,_ Kagome thought, but instead, replied, "Hojo's minions."

"How do you know that?" Eri replied, no longer fighting against her friend insistant tugging, "I mean, I've heard stories of Urameshi's fights, but still…it was three against eight!"

"Trust me," she stated, "Hojo's boys will be lucky if they LIVE through the encounter. The short guy alone is going to wipe the floor with them. Urameshi and Minamino won't even need to get involved... though they probably will anyway... just for shits and giggles."

Eri and Yuka shared a look behind Kagome's back; they weren't sure how Kagome was so sure of the outcome of that fight, but there was no doubt in the woman's voice.

Before, Kagome would have tried to defuse the situation; dragging Hojo off if she had too. But, ever since she had come back to school after being sick for so long, she had been different.

There was a sort of cold, clinical edge that would occasionally creep into her voice now; it was completely unnerving.

Not to mention the language... that InuYasha guy certainly hadn't been very good for Kagome.

* * *

><p>.<p>

"Feh…" Yusuke snorted, casually tossing the human he was holding into the water fountain. "As much as I enjoy beating up idiots, these guys were just pathetic…."

"Hn," Hiei agreed, stepping away from the moaning lump that had been the overly vocal human male a moment ago.

Kurama gave them both a long suffering look, "I can't take you two anywhere without you starting a fight," he stated.

"Hey, we didn't start this one," Yusuke protested with a cocky grin, "We just finished it."

By that time the Mall Security had arrived to cart off the unconscious humans; the idiot with the broken wrist was the only one of that group who was still conscious.

"Hey! What about them!" he protested, as the Security officers pulled the one called 'Hojo' to his feet. The officer glanced at them, his eyes widened in recognition, and he shook his head.

"If you were dumb enough to pick a fight with Urameshi," the man said, "That's your fault."

Yusuke smirked, the mall had been part of his stomping ground for years and Security had learned long ago the futility of attempting to remove him from the premises.

"What?! Who's going to pay for my wrist! I'm pressing charges! I'm gonna sue….." The youth's voice tapered off as the officer dragged him toward the office shaking his head.

"Good luck with that kid," Yusuke muttered, "Ya'll threw the first punch."

Hiei had no idea what the kid meant by 'sue', and personally he couldn't care less. As his gaze searched the crowd, Hiei realized that that incompetent idiot had provided the little vixen that had run into him with a means of escape.

He scowled; oddly annoyed that she had managed to disappear….again.

"Looking for someone, Hiei?" Kurama asked, a sly smile curling his lips.

"Hn," Hiei grunted, refusing to validate the Fox's question and encourage his curiosity.

"What happened to those guys?" Kuwabara's voice asked loudly as he and the girls come to stand next to them; he watched as the Security Officers attempted to fish out a guy of the fountain.

"Decided they wanted to take swimming lessons," Yusuke replied, "Ya'll 'bout ready to go, I'm starving."

"Yea, same here," Kuwabara agreed, just as his stomach growled loudly.

"Yeesh," Yusuke laughed, "Even your stomach is loud!"

"Shut up, Urameshi," Kuwabara shouted, "I'm just hungry, 'Kay! It's been hours since breakfast and we skipped lunch!"

"Dinner does sound nice," Yukina's soft voice stated, halting Kuwabara's tiraid.

"Where do we wanna go eat?" Keiko asked, as they slowly began to make their way to the door.

_Finally_, Hiei thought, he didn't know how much longer he would be able to maintain his composure if he remained locked in that stifling building with all those humans.

.

"Hey Hiei what do you feel…..like….?" Yusuke's voice tapered off as he turned around to look for his shorter friend, only to find the hybrid gone. "Ok…well, never mind then."

"How rude," Keiko muttered, "He could have at least said 'good-bye'."

"Hell, Keiko," Yusuke said, wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders, "That ain't Hiei's style. Besides, I'm amazed the guy stuck around as long as he did…. He hates crowded places…"

"Still," Keiko muttered.

"'Still' nuthin," Yusuke replied, "This is just one of them things you gotta accept about people, Keiko. Hiei will always be this way, and he has good reasons for why he's like that. Hiei will never be a social butterfly like you….He'll never be comfortable in crowded places or around people. He'll always be an antisocial, homicidal little psycho…. But, despite that, he's still good people. Don't let it bother you so much."

With that the conversation changed back to food and where to get it.

* * *

><p>Days later, Hiei found himself at one of the small springs that dotted area; glaring at the offending liquid.<p>

Even after spending several days in the peace and solitude of the forest; the stench of human still clung to him, until he could no longer bare the scent.

He was going to have to bathe.

He hated to do so; though it was wiser to do so here in the Ningenkai then attempt to do so in the Makai. There was less creatures here that wanted him dead….and the chance for attack was lessened.

Stiffly, he set his katana next to his boots; his hand already twitching to rush back and snatch up the blade that was as much a part of his as his own hand.

Still, logically he knew he didn't need the weapon; he was perfectly capable of defending himself without it.

Yet, like some child with their security blanket; he was loath to step away from its cold comforting weight.

Annoyed with himself, he turned his back on the weapon and walked away. He was not a child and had no need for security. He was a demon, an imiko; nothing in his life was secure. The only thing he could depend on completely was his own abilities.

_What about your friends_, a dark little voice in the back of his mind whispered. He growled, he had a momentary truce with Yusuke and Kurama…. A mutually beneficial alliance.

They were not 'friends'. It was strictly business.

Today they were allies; but Hiei knew all too well how quickly things could change.

He knew that Yusuke would not willingly betray him; the Mazoku was too honorable for such a thing…. But Hiei wasn't foolish enough to believe that should someone threaten….say, the Yukimura girl….that Yusuke would choose Hiei's life over the woman he loved.

Hiei simply wasn't that gullible.

He knew where he stood; he was and always would be 'imiko'…forbidden….cursed…expendable.

At the end of the day, no one cared about him. No one cared if he was happy. No one cared if he was safe. No one cared to even ask when the last time he had eaten was.

Nor did they need to; they all knew he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself and that he loathed to be coddled….

He liked the solitude…. He liked his independence… and he liked having no one to worry about. He didn't NEED some female hovering over him…. He didn't need a soft comforting presence on the nights his memories haunted him. He didn't need someone looking at him like he was their whole world, with eyes that softened just for him….

He didn't need any of the idiocy. He liked his solitude. It was familiar and safe.

Shaking off his sudden melancholy, he reluctantly moved further into the cold spring fed water; wincing as the frigid water slide over his skin.

He hated the feel of water, especially cold water, touching his skin. It reminded him of memories long forgotten; memories of being weightless as he was flung away from the only warmth he had ever known. Then, plunging into the cold icy liquid that clawed at his blankets; leeching away his heat.

He shuddered at the long buried memory; once again shoving the cursed thing back into the shadowy recesses of his mind.

Realizing what he had done, Hiei narrowed his eyes at the offending water. His aversion and reaction to the element was unacceptable; he refused to have such an obvious weakness.

Straightening his spine, he moved further into the water; resisting the urge to turn and leave….to put off this task and just deal with the revolting scent until it faded.

Instead, he methodically cleaned his clothing; deliberately forcing himself to endure the unpleasantness of his elemental opposite.

After he was certain that no trace of the human scent lingering on his clothing, or on his person; only then did he leave the spring.

Pulling on his wet clothing, Hiei raised his body temperature; immediately steam began to rise from his clothing and hair.

Mere moments later, he was dry; flitting back through the forest towards Genkai's shrine and his sister, the only being in this world that Hiei felt something other than mild tolerance for. Yukina, his sweet innocent twin; was the only reason he stuck around the Nigenkai.

He covenanted her affection like the precious gem that it was; reluctant to share it with anyone…. Especially that fool, Kuwabara.

Yet, as much as he wanted to kill the human psychic; he had seen first-hand how upset his sister became at seeing him injured. While he could kill the oaf easily and without guilt; he couldn't bear to see his twin shedding a single precious tear…especially if he was the cause.

He paused, resting momentarily at the forest edge. The park was still fairly busy; humans were milling about preforming various activities.

He would have to walk through the park in order to get to the forest on the other side and up to Genkai's temple….something he was loath to do.

The other alternative, however, was waiting until dark when the humans tended to retreat to their houses.

Hiei scowled, he had no desire to travel through the throngs of human; yet, to get to his sister and the peace she alone seemed to bring him…. He would tolerate it.

Dropping back to the ground, he made his way out of the forest and across the park; dodging several adolescent humans and a canine.

"HEY! WATCH OUT!" A voice called, seconds before a black and white blur came hurling towards him.

Hiei barley managed to curb his instinct to slash the projectile in half; remembering the fit Koenma had thrown the last time he had unsheathed his katana around humans.

Instead, he caught the object heading toward his head; his claws sinking into the firm, rubbery surface. There was a soft pop and the hiss of air being released as the projectile began to deflate.

Starring at the now limp lump of rubber and fabric, Hiei felt his eye twitch in irritation. He recognized the pattern of the object to be one of those balls he had seen human children running around kicking.

He turned to glare in the direction the ball came from; searching for the idiot who had sent it flying in his direction.

Dozens of humans were in the area; yet none of them seem to be concerned about him or the loss of their ball.

He growled in annoyance and tossed the offending thing away; with so many human minds around, he wasn't going to risk opening the Jagan just to find one idiot. The headache and nausea he would get from all the chaotic human thoughts just wasn't worth the aggravation.

* * *

><p>.<p>

Kagome heaved a sigh of relief as the demon turned and disappeared further into the park; still, she didn't move until she felt his energy fade into the distance.

Growing tired of the hold she had on him; Souta shoved his sister off with a muttered curse.

"What the hell, Kags?!" He demanded, "Why the hell did you jump on my head? Look at me, I'm covered in mud too!"

Still suspicious of the demon's departure; she ignored her brother's annoyed whining in favor of concentrating on expanding her senses…hoping that should it be a trick, she would be able to pick up the demons return.

With a huff, Souta climbed out of the creek bed his sister had thrown them both into, and stormed up the path to glare at the limp mass that was once his soccer ball.

"Dammit sis," Souta growled, picking up the wrecked ball, "I spent good money on this ball. Why the hell didn't you let me go talk to that guy? Maybe then he wouldn't have busted my ball!"

"Trust me," Kagome replied, "The ball was history the second it stared toward his head…. I just prevented him from taking his annoyance out on you. So quit whining, it's not like you can't get a new ball….I'll even spring for it."

"That's not the point!" Souta snapped, beyond annoyed with his sister's vague responses and odd quirks. Hell with the way she was acting, one would think that guy was a…..

The light bulb suddenly came on in Souta's head. He narrowed his eyes and took in his sister's tense frame; the way her eyes flicked to the forest around them, constantly moving. The way she tilted her head as if listening to a sound only she could here.

"Hooooly shit," he breathed, eyes widening, "That guy was a demon, wasn't he?"

She froze, "Of course not…." She lied, badly he might add, "Demons don't exist in this era, remember…."

"Can the bullshit, sis," Souta replied, crossing his arms over his chest and leveling her with a glare, "Stick with the truth, it's what you're good at."

Kagome groaned, "I don't suppose you would be willing to just forget about this and pretend you never saw that guy...?"

"Yeaaa….that would be a big fat 'NO'," Souta replied, tossing the wrecked ball into the trash as he fell into step next to his sister. "So, spill."

Muttering an oath she never would have used before meeting InuYasha, Kagome recounted her encounters with the demon over the last few weeks. When she was done, she gave her brother a stern look.

"Don't you dare go out looking for demons now, Souta," she told him.

"Aw c'mon sis," he replied, "This is a good thing, right? I mean, this means InuYasha and them could be alive somewhere!"

"Yes, but these guys are NOT InuYasha," Kagome snapped, "They aren't Kouga, or Shippo, or even Sesshomaru. These are unknown demons that may or may not be friendly. The only thing we know for certain is that they live here and have for at least twenty years."

"Sis…" Souta said, seeing the hurt and pain in his sibling's eyes. He knew she missed her friends from the past; if there were demons in Tokyo, then maybe they would know if her friends had survived the centuries...

"No Souta," she said, "I know what you're going to say. Yes, there is a chance…a CHANCE… that these demons are human-friendly; they may even have heard of InuYasha and them...But, we don't know that for certain. I'm not going to risk the well-being of my family just on the off-chance that I might be able to find my friends... These demons are dangerous; that demon you just saw crushed Hojo's wrist without a second thought, then proceeded to put eight of gang into the hospital. We know nothing about them other than the fact that they are scary powerful and apparently live around here."

"Stronger than InuYasha?" Souta asked, eyes widening. To him, InuYasha had been the strongest and toughest guy around; to think that these demons were more powerful...

"More on par with his brother, Sesshomaru," Kagome replied, "Who was scary five hundred years ago, I dunno if I wanna run into him now."

"I thought he was your ally?" Souta asked as they began the long climb up their shrine steps.

"Yea, he was," Kagome said, "But it wasn't out of any fondness for InuYasha or me. Naraku tried to manipulate Sesshomaru into killing his brother, then the bastard went after little Rin. So our alliance with Sesshomaru was more of a 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' kinda thing."

As they crested the top of the stairs, Kagome pulled her brother to a stop.

"Look Souta, I know your curious but please don't go looking for those demons….and if you see the one we saw today… just avoid him, please?"

Souta frowned down at the ground; he had spent the last few years of his childhood idolizing his sister and InuYasha. He wanted to have an adventure like her so badly… but he knew how much her travels had scarred her.

He had seen the scars that crisscrossed his sister's body; giving testament to the dangers that demons posed to humans. He had heard her moans as she slept and had even comforted on occasion when she had woken from some nightmare screaming and sobbing.

The Feudal Era had been hell for his sister and like many individuals who had seen the horrors of battle; her memories haunted her. The only thing that had made the experience pleasent had been her friends... He hated to see the longing in her eyes whenever she looked at that old well or the Tree of Ages.

but, as much as he wanted to see that haunted look leave her eyes forever; he knew that she was right. These new demons weren't her friends... there was no telling what they would do if they found out that someone knew what they were.

"Alright, sis," he told her, "I'll be careful…and I won't go looking for 'em, I promise."

Kagome pulled her brother into a fierce hug, "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you guys…."

Souta returned his sisters embrace, silently thinking the exact same thought. All this time, Kagome was protecting them… but, now that InuYasha was gone… who would be there to protect her?

They pulled apart and started to the house,

"Oh and Souta?"

Souta rolled his eyes, "Yea, sis?"

"Let's not mention this to mom just yet…."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Finished with another chapter... what do you think? Does this kinda answer your question 'Stina? LOL. I wanna try something a little different. In most fics, Kagome is so thrilled to find demons... which is kind of silly if you think about it... she knows good an well how dangerous and cruel demons can be, why would she be happy to see them walking around her home town? I'd like to think that after everything she went through, that she would be a tad bit more cautious about approaching a demon; even if it meant there was a chance she could find her friends.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. As always, please REVIEW! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own IY or YYH**

* * *

><p><strong>Good Man<strong>

**Chapter 3**

* * *

><p><strong>.<strong>

One would think, that with the amount of effort Kagome was putting into avoiding the resident demons in her neighborhood; that the blasted things could at least make life a little easier and not show up in random parts of town.

Bad enough that with the warm weather, every time she went anywhere NEAR the park she would see one, or two…or hell, ALL of those demons!

Obviously Fate, cruel bastard that he was, was laughing at her.

Why else would the one friend Souta run into when they went out for ice cream shop be the ginger-haired man that had been with her demon at the mall?

And, of course, he would have the pretty teal-haired demoness with him.

And, of course, they wouldn't just say 'Hi' and move along; oh no, Souta had to invite them to sit down and visit a while.

And…And…And… she wanted to slam her head repeatedly against the table in a fit of frustration….. But that would draw undo attention to herself.

Not that she wasn't already the source of someone's attention; the demon woman, Yukina, kept watching her with an odd look on her sweet, innocent looking face.

Ok, so if she was being honest with herself, Kagome actually kind of liked Yukina already. It was almost instinctual; same for the great big ginger-goof that was clearly an old friend of her brother.

It amazed Kagome how many people simply over-looked Yukina's unique coloring and assumed she was human. Even more amazing was how many people commented on the 'chill' they got when they walked near the woman; yet, none of them seemed to make the connection.

Maybe Sesshomaru had been right. Maybe humans really were just too stupid to live.

"Are you alright, Miss Kagome?" Yukina's soft voice asked, concern filling her pale pink eyes.

"Just Kagome," she said, more out of habit then any real objection to the title, "And I'm fine Yukina, thank you for asking."

Kagome glanced around; suddenly realizing that she was sitting alone at the table with the pale demoness.

"Kazuma and your brother are over playing those games," Yukina supplied, looking toward the back of the shop to where several arcade games sat. "Apparently your brother issued some sort of challenge about scores?"

Once again Kagome felt the urge to slap her palm to her face in exasperation.

Souta and those bloody video games.

Suddenly feeling awkward as the table grew quiet; Kagome struggled to find something to say….

"So….um… How long have you and Kazuma been….uh….acquainted?"

"Several years now," Yukina replied with a smile.

"How did you two meet?" Kagome asked, rather curious how a demon and human would become for familiar in this day and age.

"Would you believe he saved me from some very evil men?" Yukina asked, "Well, him and the others. I had come from my island home in search of my brother…and I was kidnapped by some evil men who wanted to make a profit off my tears."

Kagome blinked in surprise, unsure what to say.

"Tears?" she repeated, her confusion evident in her voice.

Yukina gave her a long measured look, "I am an ice maiden," she stated simply, as if that would explain everything.

Once again Kagome was rendered speechless. Ice Maiden? What the hell was an Ice Maiden? It sounded kind of familiar; obviously it was some kind of demon…

"But you knew that already didn't you," Yukina stated, smiling sweetly.

Kagome swallowed hard, "Um… I dunno what you're talking about…."

Yukina smiled, "I doubt Kazuma has noticed, or even the others," she stated, "Yusuke is probably too young to have ever encountered a true priestess before…"

Kagome felt the floor drop out from beneath her; "How…"

"I met a priestess, centuries ago, on my travels," Yukina explained, "Your energy is unmistakable…so pure and bright. It's so rare to find these days. Most gifted humans are like Kazuma or even Master Genkai…. Powerful and spiritually aware; but they lack that divine touch."

Silence fell over the table again as Kagome struggled to decide what to do.

A demon knew who she was….knew what she was…. And worse yet, knew her brother.

As if sensing the sudden unease of her reluctant companion, Yukina's face fell,

"I'm sorry, I've made you uncomfortable…" the demoness said, "I didn't mean too…"

Kagome glanced at the woman only to see her big pale eyes beginning to water and real sadness in their rose depths.

A single tear ran down Yukina's porcelain cheek to drop to the floor and…bounced?

Kagome starred at the strange round gem that rolled to a stop near her foot; reaching down she picked up the iridescent pearl. It was beautiful, filled with swirling pinks, greens and blues; Kagome could even feel the sadness in the gem.

She glanced at Yukina, who was watching her with downcast eyes.

Kagome sighed, either Yukina was the best actress she had ever seen, or the small demoness was actually upset that she had made Kagome uncomfortable.

"Here," Kagome said, handing the gem back to its maker, "It's very beautiful. And I'm sorry, please don't cry anymore. You just startled me, that's all… I'm not really upset."

"Really?" Yukina said, "You…don't hate me then?"

Kagome blinked, unable to hold back the surprised laugh that burst past her lips,

"Hate you? Of course not," she replied, reaching out to gently pat the woman's frigid hand. "It's just that… I've had quite a few demons try to kill me over the years…. So I've been hiding, trying not to draw any attention to myself or my family. I've lost too many friends already… I don't want to lose anyone else."

"I understand," Yukina said, "I won't tell anyone."

Kagome held out the small pearl out for Yukina to take; the demoness shook her head, gently closing Kagome's fingers around the gem.

"Keep it," she said softly, "A secret for a secret."

Kagome couldn't help the small smile that curled her lips; "A secret for a secret," she agreed, holding the gem against her chest, "Thank you…"

"So," Kagome said after a few minutes, of odd-not-quite-so-awkward-silence, "Tell me the rest of the story about how you met Kazuma…"

* * *

><p>"Booyah!" Souta yelled; laughing as he once again beat Kazuma at Mortal Kombat, "You can't touch this."<p>

"That was just a fluke kid…" Kazuma scoffed, "Best three out of five?"

"Nah….we really need to be getting home…" Souta said, glancing back at his sister. He hoped she wouldn't be to pissed that he left her alone with Yukina, who Souta was willing to bet his entire card collection, wasn't human in the slightest.

Which, in Souta's humble opinion, was exactly what his sister needed in a friend.

Eri and them were cool….but they just didn't understand the things Kagome had gone through; and he knew that the gape that had formed between Kagome and her modern-day friends had yet to be bridged.

She needed new friends, ones that wouldn't be so weirded out when she did odd things that she had picked up from the Feudal Era. He doubted Kagome even realized how much of an influence InuYasha and the others had on her behavior.

He couldn't help the smile that at the sight of Kagome laughing and talking with Yukina; the two had their heads together and every once and a while, they would glance up at Kazuma and Yukina would blush.

"It's so nice to see Yukina making another friend," Kazuma said softly, "She's always so shy and reserved around other people. The only one's she really talks to are Keiko and Genkai….well and her brother of course, over-protective lil' shit."

"Same for Kagome," Souta said, "I haven't seen her smile like that in a while. Not since….."

Kazuma glanced at the younger boy as his words tapered off; he waited for a moment, wondering if Souta would perhaps finish his sentence. Instead he just smiled and shook his head.

"Best three out of five?" he asked, turning back to Kazuma; who smirked.

"Your ass is toast this time, Higurashi," Kazuma declared, letting whatever sadness the boy had been thinking about go unquestioned.

Kazuma recognized a larger story when he sensed it; and whatever story the boy had locked away was a doozy…. But, judging the way he was keeping a watchful eye on his sister, it wasn't actually Souta's story to tell.

Still, that was something to contemplate another day; right now, he had a battle to win…and Sub-Zero was currently kicking his ass.

* * *

><p>.<p>

Weeks passed and for once, Kagome was actually enjoying herself. Her days were comprised of tending the shrine, taking online classes, and spending time with Yukina… who was proving to be a wonderful friend.

The demoness was sweet and shy, but possessed a keen intellect and razor wit.

It was obvious that, like Kagome, all the time spent with 'delinquents' like Kazuma and Yusuke, had left their mark on the innocent woman… who wasn't nearly as innocent as everyone seemed to think.

"And then," Yukina said, "Shizuru goes running over to the closest screen and just starts punching these demons. When they turn around; I swear to you she snarls at them and threatens them with 'severe pain' if they don't get out of the way. Mind you, she's totally human…. I've never seen anything like it!"

Kagome laughed at the image Yukina painted; she had met the notorious elder Kuwabara sibling and could totally see her putting the fear of death into some low level demons. Probably a few higher-level demons too, she imagined.

"Oh. My. Gawd…." Kagome laughed, "I can totally see that. Shizuru can be majorly scary."

"At the time, we were more concerned with Kazuma," Yukina said, "It was only after we were sure he was alright, that we realized how funny that was."

Ever since the day at the ice cream shop; Kazuma and Yukina had made it a routine to come over to the Higurashi residence for dinner at least a few times a week. On the weekends, when Souta wasn't at school; the four would spend the days introducing Yukina to the various joys of being human.

They took her to do things that most humans took for granted – carnivals, movies, amusement parks. Even took her swimming, now that the summer heat was beginning to roll in; though, even with the sun shining bright, Yukina managed to make the water a bit more frigid then it normally was.

Though, Kagome had to admit; having a snow ball fight in the middle of summer had to be one of the best experiences of her young life so far.

Though they spent a large portion of time together and were becoming fast friends; there seemed to be a mutual decision to progress slowly when it came to discussing the past.

There was absolutely no mention of the Jewel (on Kagome's part) nor did Yukina speak of anything relating to the Reikai save for a few funny stories involving the guy's exploits.

As they lapsed into companionable silence; Yukina took the opportunity to look around Kagome's room. Normally, the two women would sit in the den visit while the guys played video games…. But today they had pulled out the Kinect and were bouncing all over the place, so the girls had retreated to the quiet safety of Kagome's bedroom.

As Yukina took in the bright yellow walls, sheer green curtains, and white furniture; she couldn't help but notice the lingering scent of demon under the scent of old paint.

Her senses may not be quite as fine-tuned as her brothers or the rest of the guys; who had honed their instincts and senses from battle… but she was still a demon.

The demonic energy she sensed was faint, the scent old; whoever had introduced Kagome to the world of demons apparently hadn't visited her in a long time.

"Kagome!" her mother called, "Could you give me a hand please?"

Kagome stood, "Excuse me," she said, "I'll be right back. Make yourself comfortable Yukina."

Yukina waited until she heard Kagome's footsteps disappear down stairs; then she began her casual exploration of the girls room.

Oddly enough, the scent was strongest near the closet. Carefully, Yukina pulled open the closet door; her curiosity getting the better of her.

An aged yellow bag sat forgotten on the floor; the scent of at least two demons filled the small space.

Yukina went to close the door; her conscience reminding her that this was her friend's room and she had no business snooping around it.

Pink eyes flicked back to the forgotten bag; one little look wouldn't hurt, right? She'd put the bag back and Kagome would never know the difference….

Glancing behind her, she listened hard to determine Kagome's position in the house. Judging from the soft laughter and voices; she was helping her mother in the kitchen.

Satisfied that the priestess would be occupied for a few minutes more; Yukina slide the bag out of its hiding spot.

In the bright light; the bag looked even worse than it had in the shadows. It was dirty and torn in places; heavily worn and stretched out. Speckles of rust red marred it in places.

Yukina drew in a deep breath; rolling the scents around on her tongue…

There were two distinct demon scents; both canine.

So Kagome had most likely associated with some type of canine demon? There weren't very many of those left in the worlds….being fairly aggressive and territorial creatures, most of the canine-demon types had died out. Even the kitsune's, who were less known for their battles and more for their mischief, were rare.

A loud yell from downstairs made the korime jump, immediately bringing a guilty blush to her cheeks.

Here she was in a friend's house snooping through her personal belongings; what was wrong with her?

Ashamed of herself, Yukina stood; intending to toss the old bag back into the closet.

Suddenly the strap she was holding snapped; the aged fabric finally giving out. The bag dropped to the floor, its contents sliding out.

Yukina starred at the stained, torn clothing of what appeared to be an old white and green school uniform. The fabric had been stitched in multiple places; but it appeared that no amount of washing would ever restore the white blouse to its original brilliance.

Absently Yukina rubbed one of the rust colored stains between her fingers; she had done enough laundry at Genkai's to recognize blood when she saw it. Gently she traced the fine stitching that ran along the side and front of the blouse…each finger lined up perfectly with the marks.

Claw marks….

Someone had attempted to eviscerate Kagome…

She shoved the clothing back into the bag; pausing as a bright pink book caught her attention. Gently she pulled the thick tome from the bag; it was a scrap book…

She opened the book; on the first page was a large group photo. Immediately, Yukina's eyes were drawn to a young male in red robes, he had golden eyes, white hair and cute triangular ears atop his head that reminded her a lot of Youko Kurama.

To one side of him stood a human male with black hair, dressed in purple and black priest robes. In front of him was a young woman with serious dark eyes and long dark hair; she wore a simple kimono of pink and green, and a large boomerang held effortlessly strapped across her back.

Then, in the center of the three, was Kagome, dressed in the white and green school uniform, a brilliant smile on her face. In her arms she held a small red headed kitsune child with bright green eyes. At their feet sat an adorable cream colored nekomata.

Kagome looked so young and happy in the picture; somehow free of the sadness that now clung to the woman.

So wrapped up in studying the group photo; Yukina didn't hear the soft tread coming down the hall.

"Yukina….?"

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><p><strong>AN: Done! Not sure I really care for this chapter all that much; just doesn't seem to flow right. in any case, I hope ya'll like it. As always, please REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own IY or YYH**

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><p>Good Man<p>

Chapter 4

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><p>"Yukina?" Souta called, walking into his sister's room.<p>

Yukina let out a startled yelp and dropped the bright pink book she was holding.

Souta glanced from the guilty look on the girl's face, to the book on the floor and finally to the familiar dingy yellow bag his sister used to take to the past with her.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his eyes narrowing as he bent to pick up the book from where it had fallen.

"I'm sorry," she said, "Please don't tell Kagome I…"

Picking up the book, Souta looked at the group photo sadly; then back to Yukina.

"She would have a fit if she knew you had found this," he stated, shoving the scrape-book and the old clothing back into the bag. "Though, doesn't surprise me. Must be a demon thing, InuYasha was nosey too."

Yukina blinked, "You….you know what I am?"

"Of course," he replied, "I may not have my sister's skills, but I know a demon when I see one."

"I...wasn't trying to be nosey…" she said, "I mean… I was…. Kinda. It's just… I could sense the demonic energy….but it's so faint and when I came in here… I could smell demon…. I really hadn't intended to pry…"

Souta waved off her explanation, "Yea, yea, I know… you realize; curiosity killed the cat right?"

Again Yukina blinked, "Cat? I would never kill a cat…."

Souta shook his head, "No…it's an expression. It means…oh never mind…."

He shoved the bag as far back into the closet as he could and shut the closet door.

"Those memories are still very painful for my sister," he stated, turning to look at the demoness, "I know you're curious, but please don't ask her about it. When she's ready, she'll tell you."

"It'll probably take a while though," he added, "Kags story is…not for the faint of heart. Nor is it something she readily shares with people…it's….it's not a pretty story. Now c'mon, let's get back downstairs before she comes up looking for us, dinner's ready anyway."

Something about the way he phrased that made Yukina pause;

"Souta," she said softly, "This story of hers…. Is it something that could…potentially hurt her? I mean, if people found out? Is that why she was so scared to run into demons?"

Souta glanced at the korime, taking in her concerned expression,

"Something like that," he replied, "and that's all I'll say about it."

Yukina nodded in understanding, all the while her mind whirling. What on Earth could Kagome have gotten into?

It couldn't be just because she was a priestess…. Here in the Ningenkai, demons were so rare; it was hard to believe that Kagome would worry about being attacked.

Yet, clearly she did. Otherwise, why else would she have erected such a strong protective barrier around her family shrine?

What had happened to make her so frightened of demons? Especially, since she didn't seem to have any particular hatred toward demons as a species…

And what had happened to the demons in the picture? Judging by how much Kagome had aged-or rather the LACK of aging- between the present and the image in the photo; it couldn't have been more than a few years since the picture was taken.

So where were her friends? Why were their presences in her house so faint? It was apparent that they hadn't been there in months, probably years…. Why?

The questions nagged at her; she desperately wanted to ask her new friend and sate her curiosity. Furthermore, she hated to see the sadness that was a constant presence in Kagome's eyes.

Sure, Kagome laughed and seemed to be happy to the casual observer; however, Yukina prided herself on being able to read people. After all, she got plenty of practice with her brother and, to a certain extent, Kurama.

So she recognized a mask when she saw one.

Kagome was hiding behind a smile just as surely as her twin hide behind his cold disposition and his violent reputation.

That was alright though; if it was one thing Yukina possessed, it was patience.

Kagome HAD to be an easier nut to crack then Hiei had been; besides, she had time.

For now, she would work on earning the girls trust…. And maybe do a little investigating on the side.

A dog and a kitsune traveling together had to be rare since the two species generally disliked each other. Plus the name 'InuYasha' didn't sound like a common demonic name.

She'd poke around and ask some questions; see what she could find.

Question was….who's brain would be the best to pick?

She'd have to be careful who she asked so she wouldn't draw attention to herself; she didn't need anyone asking why she was looking for the information.

Which meant her brother was out. He'd demand to know why she was interested in two canine demons.

Same for Kurama; the kitsune's curiosity wouldn't allow him to ignore her interest.

Neither Yusuke nor Kazuma would work either; they were still ignorant of many aspects of the Makai.

Best place to start then, would be Genkai. The old psychic knew how to keep a secret and wouldn't pry into Yukina's reasoning. Plus she was incredibly knowledgeable about the Makai for a human.

Now the question was…. how to approach her?

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

In the end, Yukina decided on the direct approach; accidently blurting the question out to the elderly psychic.

Dark eyes narrowed on her, "InuYasha?" Genkai repeated, her gravelly voice making it sound more like a croak.

"Yes," Yukina said, steeling her resolve, "I wanted to know if you happened to know of any canine demons by the name 'InuYasha'."

"And do I even want to know the reason for your sudden… curiosity?" Genkai asked.

"A friend mentioned it?" Yukina hedged, hoping the woman wouldn't pursue the issue.

"Uh huh," Genkai replied, "Well, whatever your reasons, they're your own business. I don't know of any 'InuYasha' the top of my head."

"He might have been in the company of a kitsune kit," Yukina added; then blushed as Genkai gave her a penetrating look.

"Anything else?"

"Um…and a few humans?" Yukina added softly, "a monk, a priestess and another young woman…."

"Uh…huh…." Genkai said, "Interesting company this 'InuYasha' kept."

"Yea…"

"Yukina," Genkai's voice had softened, "Does whoever you're checking into know that you are snooping into their past?"

Yukina looked down at the floor, suddenly feeling guilty; she shook her head slightly.

"You need to be careful, dear," Genkai said solemnly, "You're walking a very slippery slope right now. A person's past is a very private thing. Unless you have a very good reason for snooping; you should probably leave it alone and wait for her to tell you…"

Nodding dejectedly; Yukina left the kitchen, only realizing once she had gotten back to her rooms that Genkai had said 'wait for HER'…..Yukina had never mentioned the name or gender of the individual she was looking into.

Yukina shook her head; really, how hard was it to figure out? It wasn't like Yukina hadn't told Genkai about her visits with Kagome. The old psychic probably just put two and two together.

* * *

><p>A couple weeks later, Genkai approached Yukina while she was preparing dinner.<p>

"Ahhh, it smells heavenly in here Yukina," Genkai said.

"Thank you, Master Genkai," the korime beamed, "I hope it tastes as good as it smells. It's a new recipe."

"I'm sure it'll taste wonderful, as always," the elderly psychic stated.

After several moments of silence; Yukina glanced back at the older woman.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, seeing the troubled look on the human's face.

"Remember that question you asked me a few weeks ago," Genkai asked, Yukina tensed.

After thinking long and hard on what Genkai had said, and what her own conscience was telling her; Yukina had decided not to pry into Kagome's affairs. She would just be patient.

"Yes….." Yukina replied hesitantly, "What about it?"

Genkai placed an old worn book of Japanese mythology on the table; "Take a look at page eighty-three," she said, then left the room.

Unease slithered through Yukina's stomach as she slide the aged tome towards her.

It was an old book, but not ancient. Printed in the last century, it was a collaboration of less-known Japanese folktales and legends. Stories the author had collected from some of the more remote villages as he traveled through the country.

With a feeling of trepidation, she starred at the book for several long moments as her curiosity warred with her integrity.

Hadn't it been Genkai who had cautioned her against continuing to pry into this matter?

She had decided to wait for Kagome to confide in her….. She wasn't going to seek out answers.

Yet….yet…Genkai wouldn't have brought the matter back up if she didn't consider it important.

A loud hissing noise snapped Yukina's attention back onto what she had been doing before Genkai had come into the room as the pot started to boil over.

_Later_, she told herself, she would look at the book LATER; after dinner, when she was in the solitude of her private rooms.

As the clock began to chime the hour; guests began to arrive. It was the first Friday of the month, the one evening where everyone made a point to come over to the temple to enjoy Yukina's home-cooking and catch up with what everyone had been doing over the past month.

Normally she looked forward to these get-togethers; especially since it was so hard for everyone to get off at the same time. However, that night Yukina's thoughts repeatedly drifted to the book she had hidden in her room before everyone sat down for dinner.

By the time everyone was ready to leave; it was nearly two in the morning. Yukina did her best not to let her impatience overcome her as she saw everyone to the door.

She kissed Kazuma on the cheek amidst the typical cat-calls from Yusuke, which was followed by a soft thump as Keiko slapped him in the back of the head.

Yukina forced herself to wait until she felt their energies reach the bottom of the steps before she turned to hurry to her rooms.

Once there, she lit her bed-side candle and opened the old warn cover; flipping through to page eighty-three.

It was a vague recounting; a story that had been handed down year after, generation after generation.

The story spoke of a powerful half-demon that fell in love with a priestess -and she with him…and they were cursed. For the priestess was the guardian of a sacred object (what sort of object wasn't mentioned); and was supposed to remain pure, but by allowing herself to love the half-demon, the Gods cursed both individuals to never know happiness together.

Legend has it that the half-demon's lust for the sacred object the priestess protected drove him insane causing him to attack the village and his lover; the battle destroyed part of the village and the priestess was mortally wounded. However, despite her injury, the priest was able to bind the half-demon a great tree deep in the forest. That forest was there after known as 'InuYasha's forest'; after the demon who was imprisoned there. (1)

Yukina frowned as she read; wondering if this power-crazed half-breed was the same grumpy looking white-haired demon in Kagome's book.

Was that why Kagome was so sad and cautious; had she befriended a demon, then been betrayed by him?

Oddly unsatisfied with the information she had learned; Yukina went on to the next section Genkai had marked.

Another ancient story, passed down through word-of-mouth recounting; only this one spoke of an ancient evil, a vile demon that tried to take control of Japan away from the Gods. The demon commanded legions of followers….and his sickness spread throughout the country.

The Gods chose a young priestess to champion them against this evil; she alone had the power to destroy the evil.

She was a rare pure soul; lacking any hatred in her heart. Her kindness was renowned and she bore no ill-will toward anyone; be they man, beast or demon.

Knowing that such purity could be easily manipulated; the Gods sent her allies and protectors.

Among them were the leaders of the Okami and Inu demon tribes. The Inu's- known for their loyalty and fierce protective natures; were charged with protecting the priestess. It was said that the youngest son of the great Inu no Taisho accompanied the young woman and protected her; calling forth a great storm of lightning and fire that would leave huge gouges in the earth, like some monstrous beast had ripped through the ground with its claws, if any dared to attack her.

In addition to her protectors, the Gods sent her a wise monk to teach her the ways of her powers; and a clan-less demon slayer to teach her the skills she would need to destroy the evil that plagued the land.

Finally, the Gods gifted their champion with a child not of her flesh –one orphaned by the wars caused by the great upheaval of that time. This child, rumored to have actually been a demon child, was to remind the priestess of why she fought; to remind her of the joy of life amidst the pain and bloodshed she found herself in.

Many lives were lost before the evil demon was destroyed; the young priestess was able purify the evil demons taint from the land, killing the demon, but regrettably the priestess' life was lost in the process.

Yukina snapped the book shut in irritation; it had left her with even more questions then she had before she started.

While the characters in the story sounded like they could match the individuals in the picture; there was no way Kagome had been alive for five centuries! It was just impossible! The girl was human…and sad as it was, human's simply didn't live that long.

The similarities were there, but the logic just didn't add up.

Yukina paused; what-if the priestess in the legend was an ancestor? And the demon had decided to continue to protect the blood-line?

_Aaaaaand_ Kagome had just HAPPENED to befriend a monk AND adopt a demon-child….just like her ancestor.

Yukina shook her head at her thoughts; loyalty was rare in demons to begin with….but loyalty to the extent where a demon would protect an entire family for centuries out of respect for a deceased woman? Unheard of.

Well, not completely unheard of; Reizen had starved himself for centuries out of love for a human woman. Still, demons generally did not allowed themselves to feel emotions; especially to such an extent as to care for something other than the accumulation of power. The ones that did were few and far between.

Yukina sat the book on her night stand and blew out her light; laying back to stare at the dark shadowy ceiling.

Her mind whirled with different possibilities; but one thing remained clear, Kagome wouldn't answer her questions if she pressed about it.

Already Yukina had noticed that the more comfortable Kagome became with her; the more the priestess shared. If Yukina was patient; she knew Kagome would eventually tell her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: (1)Okay...before anyone says something - I'm fully aware of the fact that the 'legends' don't match up. They aren't supposed to. They are stories that were told by simple rural peasents- people who wouldn't have had a clue what time traveling was, nor would they have cared. As in most tales told by ancient cultures; they were used more for teaching lessons rather then for historical accuracy. So, one can then assume, that after 500 yrs; the true facts of an event will surely be muddled. **

**If you don't believe me; play the whisper game. Have a group of people sit in a circle, one person tells the individual next to them something - a simple phrase- and then that person had to repeat that same phrase to the person next to them and so on. By the time you get to the last individual...the phrase will have changed. **

**This is after all, one of the main reasons witness testimonies are some of the weakest evidence in a case – because everyone has their own perspective and sees things differently. Three people can witness the same event and when asked there will be 3 different accounts of said event.**

**Okay, enough explaination... I hope you enjoyed. As always please REVIEW!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own IY or YYH**

* * *

><p><strong>Good Man<strong>

Chapter 5

* * *

><p>.<p>

A few days later, Yukina found Genkai meditating under one of the many trees that filled the temple grounds.

Not wanting to bother the elder psychic; Yukina sat quietly on the temple steps, debating on her decision.

Souta's words had plagued Yukina the last few days; causing the kind hearted korime to worry about her new friend's safety…..

Despite no longer technically being Detectives, there were still plenty of demons who hated Yusuke and the others and they had no qualms with hurting anyone associated with the group.

By her mere association with Yukina, Kagome could have put herself in the very sort of danger that the priestess had desperately been avoiding for the last few years.

"What is it that troubles you so, child?" Genkai's gravelly voice asked, jerking Yukina out of her thoughts.

Intense dark eyes regarded her quietly; waiting for her to come to her decision.

"Genkai…" she said softly, "I have a dilemma. I have a friend who needs training…. But I made a promise not to tell anyone about her….or what she is…."

"I…I believe that she would benefit greatly from being trained, and that she desperately needs this training…. However, the only person I know who might be able to help her is you… but I…"

"But you promised to keep her abilities secret?" Genkai finished, Yukina nodded her head.

"This is the Kagome-girl you and Kuwabara have been spending so much time with, I assume?" Genkai added, watching as Yukina looked sadly at the floor and nodded.

"Have you asked this girl if she even wants to be trained?" Genkai replied. Yukina shook her head.

"I…I didn't want to risk bringing her over here on the off chance that you couldn't help her," Yukina replied.

"Well if you're worried that she would be unwelcomed, child…." Genkai said, only to pause as Yukina shook her head. "Then what?"

"I was more worried that she might run into the guys…" Yukina replied, "She's very good at shielding; but if you're close to her, her energy is unmistakable. Especially if you know what it is you're sensing. I doubt Yusuke would bother her; he still thinks like a human. However, Kurama and my brother are another story… if they recognized what she was… I think they might….misunderstand her intentions."

Genkai regarded Yukina silently for several long moments. She would be lying if she said her own curiosity hadn't been pricked by Yukina's explanation.

"Well, I won't lie and say I'm not intrigued," Genkai stated, "How about this, I'll place a barrier around the temple for tomorrow and I will inform the others that I am cleansing the property and can't have visitors that night- which I need to do anyway. Afterward, I will leave the barrier up a little longer than usual and you can bring your….friend….over and we can discuss her situation and see what I can do to help her."

"Oh thank you, Genkai!" Yukina said, showing a rare loss of control as she gave the elderly human an appreciative hug, "I'll talk with her tonight when Kazuma and I go visit."

Genkai smiled as the normally reserved korime practically skipped off to get ready for her evening.

She hadn't even met the girl yet, but Genkai was already inclined to like the child. Anyone who could draw the shy demoness from her shell was a special person indeed.

Genkai was actually looking forward to meeting the girl; if she was who the elder psychic believed she was, than she would definatley need to be trained.

* * *

><p>Yukina's eagerness morphed into a mild anxiety as they walked up the Higurashi shrine steps. What if Kagome got mad at her? What if she didn't want to be trained? What if…<p>

Yukina shook her head in an attempt to derail her thoughts. Worrying wouldn't do any good. She would simply have to ask the woman and find out.

When they walked into the house, Souta was already mid-game, yelling at the screen as he played. In a display of remarkable coordination; the teen tossed Kazuma the second controller without taking his eyes off the intense battle scene before him.

As if the motions had been choreographed, Kazuma caught the controller, sat down and entered the game; instantly being sucked into the digital world until someone required them to return to reality.

Yukina shook her head and headed for the kitchen; the delicious scent of dinner and the soft sizzle of food on a skillet alerting her to their host's presence.

Expecting Kagome, Yukina was surprised to see Mama Higurashi working over the oven, softly humming to herself.

"Good evening, Mrs. Higurashi," Yukina greeted the matriarch of the house as she went to the refrigerator and placed the cheesecake she had made onto one of the shelves, "I brought dessert."

"Oh hello, Yukina," Mama Higurashi said with a wide smile, "How wonderful, the kids will love that, they always adore your desserts, dear."

As if sensing her next question, Mama Higurashi said, "She's outside….out by the old well."

Yukina paused at the sad note in the older woman's voice, before heading back out into the humid summer heat.

It didn't take her long to find Kagome; the soft THUMP of impact leading the demoness right to her friend.

Kagome stood on the opposite side of the well; her back to the house, a target set up against the tree line.

Yukina watched as Kagome smoothly drew the long-bows string back and released; the near silent twang of the string and whistle of the arrow through the air were the only sounds in the clearing before the distinct THUMP of the arrow hitting home echoed through the yard.

Each movement was fluid; Kagome moved with the practiced ease of someone who had spent a lot of time working with her weapon of choice. It was very similar to the way her brother moved with his sword; each movement was measured, no energy was wasted.

Yukina moved closer, not wanting to disturb Kagome and break her concentration.

Suddenly, as if sensing her presence; Kagome whirled… Arrow notched and pulled back, the tip glowing an iridescent pink.

"Oh…" Yukina let out a small cry and froze; recognizing the hard-yet faraway look in Kagome's pale crystalline gaze.

After a heartbeat or too, Kagome blinked and recognition returned to the priestess' eyes.

"Oh my god," she swore, immediately dropping the point of her weapon, though she didn't drop the weapon entirely, "You 'bout gave me a heart attack Yukina! Don't sneak up on me like that, I almost…"

"I'm sorry," Yukina replied, "I didn't mean to startle you…"

Kagome let out a harsh laugh, "Startle me…. I'm sorry I startled you…. I didn't mean… I mean…I"

Yukina approached her unnerved friend and pulled her into a comforting hug,

"No…it's alright Kagome," Yukina replied, "I'm not hurt. I was not thinking; I forget that despite how young you look, you have seen battle…"

Kagome looked at Yukina sharply; pale rose eyes smiled in return.

"What? You think I wouldn't have guessed?" Yukina replied, "You move much the same way as the others do; always watching your surroundings, always flinching at loud noises-tensing like you're ready to run or fight."

Kagome glanced at the ground, "Still," she said, "I normally have better control over myself…I was just….thinking….and….I dunno, I guess I got lost in my head…. It's still not an excuse."

Yukina frowned at the dejected tone her friend had; annoyance bubbled up within the normally placid korime's chest.

"Don't be stupid," Yukina snapped, hands fisted on her hips in a pose she had seen Shizuru take on numerous occasions when she was scolding Kazuma, "I refuse to allow you to beat yourself up over something that was, is, a perfectly normal and quite frankly, wise, defense mechanism. You've fought demons, you've been hurt and nearly killed by demons…. So it's only natural when you sense a demon sneaking up on you that you react by defending yourself. What happens if next time it ISN'T me that's approaching? Hm? I would rather you react like you did then for you to second guess your instincts and possibly get yourself killed later on!"

Kagome starred at the angry korime with wide, surprised eyes,her breath plumming out in front of her as Yukina's energy swirled around them, casting the immediate area in a frigid wintery gale.

"Uhhh…" Kagome wasn't sure what to say after a scolding like that. In fact, it had been a long time since anyone had spoken to her in such a fashion. Add to it Yukina's rather intense reaction...Kagome was at a loss.

Suddenly feeling ridiculous, Kagome let out a hesitant laugh, "Yea… I guess you're right…" she said, rubbing the back of her head, "Sorry…"

"Oh quit apologizing already," Yukina said, waving off the girl's words, the chill leaving the air as quickly as it came, "So…what were you thinking about?"

Kagome took up her stance again; oddly reluctant to go inside. For the moment, the quiet stillness of the woods soothed her…reminding her of before…

"I had a nightmare earlier," she replied softly, pulling another arrow and notching it. The soft TWANG of the bow string punctuated her words. "About… before…"

"From back when you fought demons?" Yukina asked, wanting clarification. Kagome gave small nod of her head, than let another arrow fly.

"Yea…. It was of a battle," she replied, "I had been captured…. I knew InuYasha would rescue me, he always did….and in reality… he did save me. But in the nightmare… he didn't. My tormenter used him against me… taunting me with his death… and the deaths of my friends…"

Another soft THWAMP echoed in the growing twilight;

"I couldn't see who it was," Kagome whispered, even as her hand drew another arrow and notched it, "But I KNEW…. I didn't need to see the bastard to know it was him. I could smell him… I could smell the lingering scent of burnt skin…the putrid scent of miasma…."

Kagome shuddered and Yukina could smell the sharp tang of the priestess' fear as she recalled the nightmare.

"I was helpless," Kagome stated, starring off into the growing darkness, "Back then, I always relied on InuYasha to save me. Sure, I had this…." She held up the bow, "but I wasn't a good enough shot back then to do much damage. I mean, I eventually got to be a decent shot… but that wasn't until near the end…."

Kagome glared down at the bow in her hand; "What am I going to do now, though?"

"Do now?" Yukina repeated, confused.

"InuYasha isn't in this time," Kagome said, whirling to stare at her friend with fearful, uncertain eyes, "What am I going to do? You're proof that there are demons here… and I've seen others… powerful daiyoukai that scare the shit out of me…. It's only luck that they haven't recognized me for what I am. What happens when one of them finally realizes? I…I don't know if my barrier will keep one of the really powerful ones out… How will I protect my family? I….I'm not a fighter like the others were…."

Yukina blinked as her brain processed Kagome's rushed words, puzzling over several of them… Kagome had just given her several hints into her past; but now was not the time to analyze… Kagome had given her the opening she needed.

"What if I told you I know someone who could train you?" Yukina asked, "Master Genkai…the woman I live with, she is very powerful for a human, and even though she is an elder of your kind… she was still able to train Yusuke and the others. She helped train Kazuma too….if you feel up to it, I'd like you to meet her tomorrow."

Kagome starred at Yukina for several long moments, "You told her?" she asked.

Yukina shook her head, "No, she knows your name…..but I didn't tell her about your abilities…. Just that you had them and that you might need some help training…."

"You said Master Genkai lives on a shrine… a safe haven of sorts….. Wouldn't there be demons there? I don't want to run into your friends….no offense…." Kagome added quickly, hoping she didn't offend the demoness.

Yukina smiled, "I had the same thought. I don't want them to have any misunderstandings should they recognize what you are either. Genkai said that she would set up a barrier and tell the others she needed to cleanse the shrine; something she does on a semi-regular basis. With the barrier up, the guys shouldn't be able to sense your presence…. You can go, meet Genkai, and see what she can do for you…. And we'll work from there."

Kagome chewed on her bottom lip as she thought about it; ordinarily the risk of encountering demons would dissuade her from going anywhere remotely NEAR the temple; however, her dream had terrified her. It had reminded her how very UNprepared she was, should she encounter the daiyoukai again.

And she knew she would; it was only a matter of time.

Knowing that Yukina knew Kagome's demon rescuer and the other daiyoukai he associated with – yes, she had recognized the name 'Yusuke' and put two and two together; did little to sooth her unease. It just meant that she was more inclined to run into the very creatures she was hoping to avoid.

However, fear of facing these powerful and unknown demons and being unable to defend her family or herself far out-weighed the possibility of maybe running into the demons while in Yukina's and Genkai's company.

"Alright," Kagome said, "I'll meet with your Genkai. What time do you want me to come over?"

Yukina barely suppressed her joy at Kagome's agreement; "Six. I'll make dinner. It'll just be the three of us, not even Kazuma will be there."

"Alright," Kagome said, suddenly feeling better about everything. It was amazing how just MAKING a decision could make her feel so accomplished. She had no idea what would come out of the meeting with Genkai; but at least she was doing SOMETHING.

"KAGOME! YUKINA! DINNER!" Mama Higurashi's voice rang out; Kagome grinned at her friend.

"C'mon, we better hurry, or the guys are going to eat all the food!"

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><p><strong>AN: Yay another chapter done! I'm so glad everyone is enjoying this fic so much; I hope you continue to do so. Thank you so much for all the encouragment. And as always don't forget to REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN IY OR YYH**

**A/N: ****To answer a couple questions:**

**Will Kagome become strong- Really, have any of my versions of Kagome been weak?**

**Will Kagome see her Feudal Era friends - Dunno yet... we'll see.**

**What's the power conversion scale between IY demons and YYH demons - well if you look at the wiki S-class and Daiyokai are both described as the most powerful of the demons and generally retain some humanoid form. So for this fic... I'm going to have Daiyokai/S-class demons being the same classification. Daiyokai is what they were called in the fuedal era - which is why Kagome uses that term. However, after the barrier went up and the 3 worlds were seperated, Reikei uses the classification 'S-Class' to describe what was commonly refered to as 'Daiyokai'. Does that make sense?**

**Will Souta develop spiritual powers - probably...at least in some form. Honestly dunno yet...**

**Ok, I think I got them all...or at least the most common ones. :) **

**On with the fic!**

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><p><span><strong>Good Man<strong>

_**Chapter 6**_

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><p>Kagome stared up the long stone stairway that seemed to disappear into the surrounding forest. She glanced back down at the address and directions Yukina had left the night before; then took a deep calming breath.<p>

She was nervous.

No, scratch that…. She was freaking terrified.

For so long she had been deemed _less_ simply because she hadn't been able to control her powers.

In the past, everyone spoke of Kikyo with such love and reverence; they had all assumed that she, as Kikyo's reincarnation, would be able to do the same things….

Not once did they take into account that Kikyo had spent her whole life training to be a priestess; and Kagome hadn't. She had, quite literally, just fallen into the role.

She knew she would never be as good at being a priestess as Kikyo had been – the real Kikyo, not the clay-pot replica that kept making things difficult.

Kagome had come to terms with this fact; she would never be as good or as pretty as the original Kikyo…. She understood this and had made peace with it.

Or so she thought.

Now, as she starred up those steps…. She knew she was standing on the pinnacle of something BIG.

If she decided to climb those stairs and speak to Genkai; she was admitting to herself that she was actively pursuing training. That she was going to BE a Miko… not just in name and accidental power…. But a true Miko in word and deed….. Consciously doing what Kikyo had always secretly resented – dedicating herself to being a tool of the Divine and working towards preserving life in all its various forms.

Could she do that?

Was she really willing to take that step?

Sure, she could lie to herself and tell herself that she would learn what she could from Genkai in order to better protect her family….. But Kagome always tried to avoid lying, especially to herself.

No, if she did this...then she would do it all the way.

Straightening her back, Kagome began the long climb up to the temple; doubts plagued her, the taunting voices of every individual who ever said she wasn't good enough or smart enough rang in her ears.

With each step, her resolve strengthened.

She was tired of never being good enough.

She was tired of being unable to perform the most basic of tasks that one of her power should.

She was _TIRED_ of always being helpless.

She was tired of living in _fear_.

It was time to stop settling, to stop accepting that she would never be as good as someone else.

She may be some distant Miko's reincarnation, but she was also Kagome Higurashi….and there wasn't a damn thing wrong with her.

And she would prove it to herself and to everybody who ever said she wasn't worth it….

* * *

><p>Genkai paused as she felt something pass through her barrier. Tentatively, she let her awareness flow outward to brush against the intruder.<p>

The energy seemed to withdraw, wrapping tighter around the individual to the point that they became nearly un-detectable.

"Interesting…." Genkai said softly, suspecting that this intruder was Yukina's friend. If it was indeed the girl; her ability to blend in and hide her energy was extraordinary.

"Yukina," Genkai called softly to the korime who was bustling around in the kitchen, "Your friend is here."

.

Genkai wasn't sure what she was expecting from the young woman who had befriended her demon companion; but the petite unassuming, nervous young woman who topped the stairs wasn't it.

As Yukina greeted her guest; Genkai took a moment to casually study the girl.

Genkai could sense she was nervous; yet, her head was held up, shoulders back, and her pale sapphire gaze flicked around the temples immediate grounds with a practiced ease of an individual who was used to unexpected things happening.

The girl gave her friend a brilliant warm smile, a good portion of her unease sliding away as she leaned in to embrace Yukina; without flinching from frigid chill that always clung to the korime's person, Genkai noted.

Despite the relief she felt at seeing her friend; the girl remained tense, as if she was ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

As those pale crystaline eyes fell on Genkai; the old psychic could easily see the determination and resolve in them.

Genkai smiled, "So you are Kagome," she said, "Yukina has told me a lot about you."

"Only good things, I hope," Kagome said softly, returning Genkai's smile with a shy one of her own.

"Of course," Genkai replied with a smirk, "She can't stop telling me about how much fun she has been having with you and Kazuma."

"I'm glad," the girl replied, "I've been enjoying her company as well. It's been a long time since I had a friend who I could confide in."

"On that note," Genkai said, pouncing on the opportunity the young woman had provided, "What exactly is it that you feel you can't confide in anyone but a demon?"

Kagome swallowed hard as Genkai looked at her expectantly. It was now or never….

"Yukina…" she said softly, "Would you back up please?"

Puzzled, the demoness backed away, unconsciously falling back behind Genkai.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome attempted to relax. Ever since she had come back home, she had worked on suppressing her energy so that if she would run into a demon (like she had on numerous occasions) they wouldn't take any notice in her outside of being a regular human.

Relaxing what had now become habit and second nature was a lot more difficult then she had imagined.

As Genkai watched she took note of how the girls energy was sluggish and reluctant to come to her call; yet, as the girl's energy finally responded, it rushed forth like water from a busted dam, flowing outward and filling the courtyard in a shimmering iridescent pure, HOLY energy.

Behind her, Yukina let out a small pained hiss and withdrew further into Genkai's shadow; the elder's psychic's own energy providing a buffer for the uncomfortable demoness.

"Sorry," Kagome muttered, noticing Yukina's discomfort, "I can't control it very well."

Even as she spoke, the energy was receding back to her as quickly as it left; until once again, Genkai could barely sense the vast well of power the girl had.

"It comes and goes," Kagome said, "About the only times I can control it are when I'm channeling it into an arrow or when I create a barrier. A friend tried to teach me once, but he didn't possess the same type of energy I do, even though he was a monk."

"Well, it certainly is unique, child," Genkai replied, "I've known several priests and priestess' and none of them possessed energy quiet like yours…."

"Um…I don't know if it might have made a difference," Kagome muttered, suddenly anxious and unsure of herself, "But when I was fifteen I found out that I had been born with a….uh…. relic…would that be the right word?...kinda….inside of me….?"

Genkai blinked, "Beg your pardon?"

Kagome sighed, "Well, you see…. On my birthday that year I was attacked by a demon…. During the attack she ripped a small jewel from my side." Kagome lifted her shirt to show the puckered scar where Mistress Centipede's fangs hand torn at her. "The jewel had been inside my body and no one had known."

"A…jewel?" Genkai repeated, "Was inside your body? How did you not know?"

"I was kinda sorta born with it?"

"Born with it…?"

"Bugger," Kagome muttered darkly, "Alright, it's a very long and complicated story…. Basically centuries ago a priestess died while guarding this jewel….in an effort to get rid of the cursed thing, upon her death her sister burned it with her body. Five hundred years later her reincarnation – me- is born with the blasted thing inside my body. By a weird twist of fate I happen to chase my family's cat into the well house that was rumored to be an ancient dumping site for demon bones. Once there, the power of the jewel woke up and resurrected a demon by the name Mistress Centipede who proceeded to drag me down said well and coincidently 500 years in the past at which point she attempted to kill me, destroy the nearby village and eventually ripped previously mentioned jewel out of my side where I hadn't even know it had been…"

"Oh….is that all?" Genkai stated dryly.

"Yea….extremely abbreviated…but basically…." Kagome replied cheekily.

"Riiiight," Genkai replied, raising her brow at the girl, "Clearly this is going to be a long tale. You can tell us over dinner."

With that Genkai turned on her heel and walked off. Kagome starred after her, blinking in surprise.

"Wow she didn't even bat an eyelash…." Kagome said softly, giving Yukina a wide-eyed stare.

"No…. wait until you hear some of the stories about the guys..." Yukina said, leading Kagome into the house, "There's not a lot the phases her anymore…"

* * *

><p>Several hours later:<p>

"And then, I remembered something my Grandfather had told me," Kagome said, coming to the end of her story after several long hours of talking, "that the Shikon could only be purified by someone who wished to save everything…. It was then I knew what to wish for… I wished for the blasted thing to be gone forever. I was almost afraid to hope…. The Shikon manipulated everything… I was sure that it would somehow manage to manipulate that as well. But, it didn't. The souls trapped within it were released….. And I was returned home. That was about a year and a half…maybe two years ago now."

"And your friends," Yukina asked, recalling the happy group portrayed in the picture Kagome had hidden away in her closet, "Do you know what happened to them?"

Kagome shook her head, "No… I know that Miroku and Sango are gone, they were only human. I'd like to think that they finally got married and had a bunch of kids. I know Sango would have taken care of Shippo for as long as she could…. After that, I can only hope one of the others took him under their wing until he reached his maturity."

"As for InuYasha…" Kagome shrugged, "I dunno if he would have survived; he was a half-demon so it's possible. When I met him he was around 200 years old… so if he managed to stay alive and not get himself killed….he'd probably look around fifty now….unless he stopped aging at some point. The others, again unless they were killed in battle; I'm sure they're kicking around someplace…though I can't imagine anyone managing to kill Sesshomaru...he was freaky strong back then, now he's had five centuries to pursue his 'conquest of power' or whatever he called it."

"A time-traveling Miko," Genkai said with a smirk, "how interesting. With as old as I am now, I had figured I'd heard just about everything…. Nice to know I can still be surprised."

"Well child," she continued, "I'm no priestess and I'm far too old to be taking on any new students."

Kagome's face fell with each word the older woman spoke.

"However," Kagome perked up, "Yukina rarely asks me for anything, so I can't rightly deny her this request. I'll teach you what I can; but if I think you're slacking in any way shape or form… then that's it. I don't have the time or energy to train someone who isn't willing to give me their best."

"YES!" Kagome cheered, jumping up from her chair in excitement, only to blush a bright cherry red as she realized what she did. Containing her excitement, she righted her chair and sat back down, "I mean…thank you; you won't be disappointed…."

"I want to be trained alongside Kagome," Yukina stated firmly.

Genkai's eyes widened a fraction at the quiet demoness' declaration.

"Are you certain, Yukina?" Genkai asked, "I won't go easy on either of you…."

"I know," she stated, "And I wouldn't want you too. I'm tired of always being rescued whenever something happens. Plus training with me would help Kagome's control… and my own. Besides, what other demon would be willing to spar with a Miko-in-training?"

Genkai suppressed a smirk at the korime's words; for so long the young woman had quietly sat on the sidelines, never arguing… never detouring from her routine. It was refreshing to see Yukina stretching her wings.

Hiei wouldn't like it; the temperamental fire demon was content to have his sister wrapped in wool and safe from harm. Not that Genkai cared how the hybrid felt about it; after all Yukina was her own person, it was her choice.

Besides, seeing his reaction would be worth the hissy fit he would probably throw.

"Alright," Genkai said, "If that is your wish. Settle your schedule Kagome, starting Saturday you are mine. I expect you here at 5am sharp."

With that Genkai stood and left; leaving a rather stunned and hopeful pair starring after her.

"Well, on that note," Kagome said, "I had better get home. I need to let Mom know and figure out how to balance everything. I think our lives are about to get very busy, Yukina."

"You're probably right," the korime agreed, "But I can't wait. Thank you Kagome…"

"Huh? For what?" she asked, puzzled.

"I never would have had the courage to ask Genkai for training if it wasn't for you," she replied, "My brother and the others….they always coddle me. I think they look at me as some naïve child; as something that needs to be placed on a pedestal and protected. But I'm a demoness I should be able to protect myself…. It's long past time that I learn to stand on my own instead of being content to just sit back and wait for the guys to save the day."

Kagome patted her friends hand in understanding, "I know just how you feel," she said, "And you're right. It's long past time for both of us to stop living others expectations of us."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yaaaaay another chapter done. Sorry it took so long. Life is rather busy at the moment and I only have access to a computer while I'm at work (sadly my laptop died *cries*). **

**I hope ya'll enjoy this chapter and as always REVIEW! **


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own IY or YYH**

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait folks, life is insanly busy. Spring/Summer tend to be my busy seasons so don't be surprised if it takes a bit longer for me to post. **

* * *

><p>Good Man<p>

Chapter 7

* * *

><p>Kagome cursed softly to herself as she stood, balanced precariously on the end of a pole some fifteen feet in the air. Not for the first time in the month since she started training with Genkai; she wondered what on earth had possessed her to seek out training from this woman.<p>

The first week hadn't been too bad; Genkai had been kind and eased the two women into the regiment. Now though, now the sadistic old woman wasn't holding anything back.

Though, from what Yukina said, Genkai had yet to make them balance using only a fingertip on the sharp point of a spear held aloft with only their own energy; something that she was rumored to have forced Yusuke to do numerous times.

So perhaps she should be grateful that the evil psychic had yet to take that route with them.

Still, as Kagome barely blocked the flurry of blows from said previously mention evil psychic; it was hard to remember why Kagome had ASKED for this….

Kagome leapt away, lashing out in an attempt to create a little breathing room between her and her teacher. She landed on another pole barely wide enough for the balls of her feet, proud that she only wobbled a little, and prepared for another attack…

* * *

><p>"Why did we ask for this again?" Yukina asked, as they raced up the mountain, where Genkai was surely waiting with some other cleverly disguised torture planned for them to endure.<p>

"Because we…" Kagome paused as a lower-class demon leapt at her from the shadows. She slammed her knee into the furry creature's face, putting enough energy into the blow to burn, but not completely purify the demon. "We're tired of being saved…."

"Oh…right," Yukina replied; freezing another low-level demon before it could even complete its leap, "What the hell were we thinking?"

"I'm not sure…." Kagome chuckled, pausing for a moment to sense Genkai's new position – since of course the evil hag wouldn't make it easy and sit still while they hunted her. "I don't think we were…"

Yukina took up a defensive position beside Kagome; watching the others back while she found their elusive teacher's new hiding place.

"Clearly we're idiots…" Yukina muttered darkly.

"Less talking, more running," Kagome said, sending her friend a smirk over her shoulder, "We're gaining on her!"

* * *

><p>"No…."<p>

"Kagome…"

"No!" Kagome snapped, "No, no, no, and NO! There is no way in HELL I am going to spare with you at full power!"

"Dammit, Kags," Yukina swore; her quiet and demure attitude melting away over the months of hard training and proximity to Kagome's own foul language. "You're holding back on me! How the bloody hell am I supposed to get stronger if you keep holding out on me?!"

"Yukina, if it was up to me," Kagome snapped, "I wouldn't even use my powers at all while sparing with you! There's too much risk!"

"Oh bullshit!" The korime retorted, "You're just scared. For Pete's sake Kags, do you think it's easy for me to fling ice balls at you? I worry all the time that maybe this once you're going to miss and I'm gonna end up turning my best friend into an ice cube….and that even with Genkai's help, we wouldn't be able to get to you before the ice did serious damage to you!"

Kagome winced at the thought, she knew how hard it was for Yukina, who was really more of a nurturer, to attempt to cause her harm-even if it was just sparing.

She simply couldn't understand how people could enjoy fighting. Kagome loathed it, every step of the way; she hated it. Yet…it was necessary. This training was necessary.

In order to protect her family, to protect her home….she had to get stronger. That was the single reason that drove her to practice an art she so abhorred.

Sensing the priestess' reluctance and hesitation; Yukina moved closer to her friend. Gently, she pulled the younger woman into an embrace.

"I need this Kagome," Yukina said softly, "If I can withstand your energy, which is the natural polar opposite of mine….then I will be better equipped to handle another demon's energy."

"But…what if it doesn't work?" Kagome replied, pulling away slightly, "What if you miss? I've seen what my power does to demons… there won't be an ice block that you could possibly be saved from…. There won't be anything…. You'll….you'll just be gone…."

Yukina sighed, the fear rolling off her friend was tangable; Kagome truly feared that she would purify the demoness.

"How about a compromise?" Yukina said, giving the worried human a reassuring smile, "How about we don't go to full power yet. You've only been using the barest traces of energy when you fight me….even less then when you were wailing on them low level demons on the mountain. How about you just gradually increase your power as we go? Maybe with enough exposure, I'll develop a sort of immunity to it?"

Kagome swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and wiped at her blurry eyes; the idea had some merit.

"I guess we can try that," Kagome replied; Yukina grinned.

"Good. Now c'mon before Genkai comes back and finds us standing around…."

"Evil hag…" Kagome grumbled, before falling back into a fighting stance.

From the shadows of the house, Genkai smirked as she watched the two women move. They lacked the power of the guys, the sheer brute strength those like Yusuke, Kuwabara and even Hiei possessed.

However, they were both quick on their feet and quicker mentally. Neither Kagome nor Yukina were brawlers like the guys; they didn't fight because they enjoyed the thrill of battle. They fought to protect their loved ones and defend their homes.

Only time would tell how powerful the two women would become.

* * *

><p>Hiei heaved a sigh of relief as he passed through the barrier that separated the Makai from the Ningenkai. He paused for a moment, balanced delicately at the top of a tall pine; he took off his cloak and rung out the excess water-it had been pouring in the Makai non-stop for three days. Giving his head a violent shake to dispel the water that still clung to him; he slide his cloak back on and spiked his temperature.<p>

Within minutes he was dry, the first time in days; and racing off toward the familiar sight of Genkai's mountain temple.

As he drew near, he felt Yukina's energy spike along with a strange foreign energy Hiei had never encountered before.

Suddenly wary, Hiei cloaked his presence and put on an extra burst of speed.

If anything happened to his sister….

* * *

><p>"Had enough yet?!" Yukina yelled, as another snowball hit the tree Kagome was hiding behind with a muffled THUMP. Long shards of ice formed around the tree trunk, the razor sharp edge nicking Kagome's cheek and drawing a thin line of blood.<p>

Kagome hissed in pain, while not deep the wound stung like hell.

Yukina had her pinned down; there was no way for her to move without being hit by one of the korime's 'ice bombs'…. Which, she knew from experience, wasn't pleasant.

Plus, whoever lost this match would have to spend the rest of the weekend cleaning the temple. There was NO WAY Kagome was getting stuck with THAT job.

Rooting around the dirt at the base of the tree she was hiding behind, Kagome grinned as she pulled out several marble sized stones.

Holding them in her hand, she poured a bit of her power into them; the dark stones began to glow with a dull pink light.

Kagome waited, listening intently for any indication of her friend's location…. Why did the demoness have to be so damn quiet?

THERE! To her right, the soft sigh of fabric as the korime moved, attempting to maneuver around the tree and have a clear shot at Kagome.

Kagome moved, flinging her super-charged pebbles in Yukina's direction. She didn't stop to see if the pebbles hit; the soft surprised cry that had followed in her wake, told her that she had hit her mark.

She lunged for the bow she had dropped earlier in the sparing match.

She snatched the weapon from where it lay, a thin sheet of ice still covering a small portion from where Yukina had hit her with one of those damn ice bombs of hers.

Kagome drew an arrow, specially made for their sparing matches; the arrow lacked a true tip, instead it was fitted with a paint filled blunted clay tip – enough to hurt when it made contact, but wouldn't actually penetrate skin.

She sighted down the arrow, aiming at her friends shoulder just as the korime turned.

Suddenly, Yukina's pale pink eyes widened and if possible, her already pale complexion further drained of color.

It was the only warning she got, and the only she needed.

Kagome threw herself to the side; barely escaping the blade that whistled past her ear.

From her peripheral, she could she Yukina running toward her, shouting something she couldn't understand.

Her focus narrowed on the being that had nearly decapitated her, and felt her stomach drop.

Cold, garnet eyes glared at her as the daiyoukai from the alley straightened.

_Oooooh shit…._

Without actually making a conscious decision; survival instinct kicked in and Kagome leapt toward the temple's weapon room. Her regular arrows were resting just inside the door; she had to get to them.

Distantly she thought she heard Yukina scream, but in her panicked state, Kagome couldn't make it out.

She ducked and dodged, barely able to sense the demon as he moved….he was so god's blessed fast.

She let out a small scream as she was shoved roughly from behind, wood splinters raining down around her.

Kagome risked a glance behind her; the damnable demon had taken out a good ten foot section of Genkai's deck with his attack, the force of the impact had sent her sailing. If that had actually hit_ her..._

Adrenaline surged as Kagome scrambled the last few feet to snatch her quiver from its resting place.

Pain blossomed in her side as cold metal slide along her ribs; she could feel it rake against bone, before she was thrown away. Vaguely she was aware that she had taken out the porch railing; the sharp pain across her back giving testament to the impact.

Yet, she shoved the pain away, she shoved the fear down; as she slammed into the hard cobblestones of the temples courtyard, months of training kicked in. It was so easy, so effortless, after so many grueling months of training- her mind may have been huddled in a corner whimpering at the suddenness of the attack; but her body knew what to do.

She twisted as she slid, somehow managing to roll to one knee, arrow drawn; time slowed…. The demon bore down on her, mere feet away, her death reflected in his cold blood red eyes.

She released, the arrow leapt forward in a brilliant arc of pink light.

Suddenly, there was a flash of teal from the side; Kagome felt her heart shutter to stop even as a massive explosion ripped through the courtyard.

"YUKINA!"

* * *

><p>Snow, dirt and dust billowed around as the force of the blast knocked Kagome to her ass. Fear caused her heart to hammer in her chest.<p>

Why had Yukina done it? Why had the normally intelligent demoness done something as stupid as leap in front of Kagome's arrow?!

Was she alright?

Had she survived?

"Yukina!" Kagome called, coughing.

The smoke and debris was still too thick to make out anything.

"YUKINA!" Kagome yelled, forcing her injured body to its feet; fear and desperation lending her strength.

"I'm here," Yukina's voice called softly through the smoke.

There…. Kagome could finally make out her friends slight frame; her normally vibrant teal hair was dull with dust, chips of rock and leaves clung to the tangle tresses.

"Oh thank god!" Kagome said; sinking to the ground once more as her strength abandoned her.

"Woman," a cold hard male voice growled, "Release me now."

Kagome came to her feet in a sudden surge of fear; recognizing that deep growling voice anywhere.

"No," Yukina said, "Not until you promise not to try and kill Kagome anymore."

A low menacing growl was the korime's only answer.

Finally the dust had settled enough to give Kagome a clear view of her friend…. And honestly, she wasn't sure if she should laugh hysterically, or grab Yukina and run as fast and as far away as possible.

The dark haired daiyoukai that had been trying to kill her was almost completely incased in ice.

Yukina stood between them; her left hand was blackened and still smoldered from where the korime had desperately knocked Kagome's arrow away.

"Oh. My. God…Yukina! Look at your hand!" Kagome cried, forcing her battered body forward.

The daiyoukai snarled as she neared the demoness; Kagome ignored the threat. She needed to treat Yukina's hand….

"Its fine, Kags," Yukina said wincing, "Really…"

"Get away from her, Miko!" the daiyoukai spat, somehow Kagome knew that the ice wouldn't keep him immobile for long.

* * *

><p>Hiei snarled as his sweet trusting sister let the Miko, the same Miko that moments before had been intending to use one of those arrows on her, touch her injured hand.<p>

A soft pink glow encompassed Yukina's arm for a moment; his sister hissed slightly in pain...

The ice shattered as Hiei's temper surged, even as the glow faded from his sisters arm. He made to lunge at the human once again; only to be met by furious pale pink eyes as his twin blocked his path.

"Leave her alone!" She snarled, the temperature suddenly dropping around them, "Kagome is my friend, don't you dare hurt her!"

"She's a _Miko,_" Hiei hissed, "She cannot be trusted!"

"Kinda like an Imiko, right?" Yukina replied, coldly; for the first time proving her relation to the fire demon by ruthlessly going for such a sore subject.

Hiei drew up short at the korime's words; she would dare...?

Hiei starred into his sister's cool pale eyes and felt a sense of hopelessness coupled with fury fill him. She would choose this human over him?

He glared at the young woman standing behind his sister; he had known from the moment she had seen her in that wretched alley that she was going to be a problem. Had he known that his twin would somehow manage befriend the strange human; Hiei would have allowed the demons to kill her before he dispatched them.

Now the bitch had turned his sister against him...

With a snarl of fury, Hiei disappeared, moving far to quickly for even Yukina to track.

"HIEI!" Yukina called, knowing better then to take his departure at face value. Nothing was ever that simple with her twin.

"Dammit," she muttered, her anger warring with her sympathy. She knew, better then anyone, that her brother's life had warped him in ways very few could understand. While not a truly evil being; he certainly wasn't 'good' either.

No... there was no way Hiei would let this 'betrayal' slide, no matter how slight or imagined. His hurt and rage had been easily visable in his normally guarded eyes; Yukina knew that once he settled himself... he would be back. The question was... how?

Kagome would need to be watched closely for the next few months; at least until her brother showed his hand. If they were lucky; Hiei would simply ignore both Kagome and her, passive-aggressively using his absence to punish her - something that he had done once or twice in the past.

However, with as angry as he was... the likelihood of that outcome was miniscul. Knowing her brother; he would return at the most unexpected moment and eliminate whatever he precieved as a threat...

"I think it's time you officially met Yusuke and Kurama, Kags," Yukina said, turning around to look at her friend.

Kagome blinked owlishly at her, her eyes glassy and unfocused. It was then that Yukina noticed the liquid dripping from Kagome's arm, and the ever growing pool of blood at her feet.

"Kags?" She asked, all thoughts of her tempermental brother flying from her head as Kagome's legs buckled beneath her.

"KAGOME!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Not my best... :-/ and far more choppy then I like, but it'll have to do. I hope ya'll liked it. As always please REVIEW!**

**P.S... Several people noted that I switched Kagome's eyes color - Oops. (-_-)' I went back and fixed it. I normally write Kagome with dark eyes rather then the blue - so sometimes I forget and out of habit return to the brown. I'll try to be extra careful... but if you see the goof again, please let me know so I can correct it. Thanks guys! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I sadly, do not own IY or YYH...**

* * *

><p><strong>Good Man<strong>

**Chapter 8**

* * *

><p>"Feh….You really do attract trouble, don't you?" InuYasha stated; arms crossed over his red clad chest, a cocky smirk curling his lips.<p>

Kagome glared at her first love and best friend; "Well, it's not like I MEAN to!"

InuYasha laughed, looking far more care free and relaxed then she had ever seen him before.

"No," he agreed, "You never do…"

Kagome looked around, noticing her surroundings for the first time. They were standing under the Tree of Ages, its height towering over them. Around them, InuYasha's forest stood in dark shadows; quiet and peaceful…. Serene.

Yet, as familiar as the scene was; the colors seemed washed out, like she was seeing then through some sort of film.

She turned back to look at her friend, noticing then the small details she had missed before. Subtle things, like laugh lines around his eyes and forehead; he was slightly taller and broader across the shoulders then she remembered too. His hair was longer and he just looked….older.

"What's going on?" she asked, "Where am I?"

"You're dreaming, idiot," InuYasha stated, his lips curling into another crooked grin.

"This…this is all a dream?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied, moving over to flop down at the base of the Tree of Ages. "You nearly got yourself killed again."

Kagome sank down next to him; "I guess he did get me pretty good…." She said softly, her hand absently going to her side.

"He's gonna be trouble," InuYasha stated, "I hope you realize that."

"I know," she replied, "And this time you're not here to save me…."

"No…." he said sadly, "I wish I could…. But this time…you have to save yourself."

Kagome lean over and rested her head on his shoulder; she wasn't sure how long they sat like that, in companionable silence.

After a while, dark clouds seemed to move in, bringing with it a stiff wind and the scent of rain.

"Looks like a storm is moving in," Kagome stated, as they both rose to their feet.

"Yea… It's time for you to wake up," InuYasha replied. Kagome swallowed hard.

"I'm scared…" she admitted, "I don't know how to do this on my own…"

Golden eyes seemed to glitter with amusement, "Sure you do," he said, smiling, "Do what I always did….wing it."

Kagome gave him a droll stare, "I was being serious, InuYasha!"

"So was I," he said, some of the amusement fading from his face, "It's not like you're going to be alone, Kags, and there isn't exactly a manual for this…. So just go with it. That's about all you can do. You're stronger then you think; you've always been stronger then you thought. C'mon, you defeated Naraku… that's got to count for something…"

"It wasn't like I did that alone," Kagome reminded him, "If I remember right, you and your brother played a major part in that…"

"And you're not alone now," he replied, that annoying know-it-all cocky smirk back on his face.

"Urgh! You're impossible!" Kagome growled.

His face softened as he pulled her into an embrace; Kagome buried her face in his shoulder, the rough fabric lightly scratching her nose and cheeks… and there for just a moment, she could smell his familiar wild scent – the scent of wind through trees and dry leaves.

"You can do this," InuYasha said softly, pulling away from her slightly so he could look her in the eyes, he continued, "You're never alone. Not really. No matter where you go or how far you travel… we'll always be there for you… even though you can't see us. We're here…."

With that, he stepped back; from the shadows of the forest came the familiar figures of Sango and Miroku. The two came to stand next to InuYasha as Kagome seemed to drift away; they raised their hands to wave at her, encouraging smiles on their faces.

Kagome watched them as they slowly disappeared out of sight and the forest faded from view. Her heart cried out at their loss, even as their words echoed in her mind. Somehow, knowing they were there watching over her made everything easier.

She drifted for a while in that bright washed out nothingness; it was surprisingly peaceful, just floating there.

All too soon, voices began to filter through the vastness; worried, anxious voices….

Kagome frowned, why on earth was someone fussing so?

It bothered her, that soft worried voice that seemed to be pleading to someone, begging them to come back.

Unconsciously Kagome began to float toward the source of that voice, curious as to whom and why someone was so upset….

* * *

><p>Yukina sat next to Kagome's prone form, barely resisting the urge to check her friend's vitals once more. She knew the human was healing surprisingly well considering the extent of the injury.<p>

"Please wake up…" Yukina whispered, another tear rolling down her cheek to bounce softly across the floor.

This was all her fault; she knew it was only a matter of time before her brother came to visit. She should have been more vigilant. How could she have been so stupid?! Of course Hiei would immediately jump to the worst possibly conclusion about Kagome…. Why hadn't she thought of that?

"I'm so sorry…" she said, probably for the millionth time in the last few days.

"Yukina?" Kagome's tired voice said softly, "What's wrong?"

Yukina could barely contain her joy as she looked into her friend's lovely pale eyes for the first time in nearly a week.

"You're awake!" she cried, practically flinging herself into Kagome's lap in her relief, wrapping her arms around the startled priestess. "I'm so sorry… I should have realized he'd jump to conclusions… I'm sorry…."

Kagome starred at the sobbing korime in her lap; unsure how to handle the situation. She could barely understand the demoness as she spoke, her voice muffled by the blankets and Kagome's shirt. All she could make out was 'I'm sorry'.

"Yukina…. Hey… it's ok," she said, hugging the frantic woman, "It's not like you knew that some crazy, psycho jackass of a demon would jump out of the woods and randomly attack me…. I mean, I've seen him around and always figured he was a little unstable… honestly he's got a worse 'bother me and I'll kill you' vibe then Sesshomaru ever had…. And I've certainly seen better dispositions on rabid badgers…"

"He's my twin…." Yukina said, as if that somehow explained everything.

"And such a nice fellow," Kagome continued without missing a beat, "You know he actually did save me once, unintentionally I'm sure. Swell guy, your brother…a real sweetheart…. I mean really what are a few homicidal tendencies between friends' right….?"

Yukina couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up at Kagome's words. The woman hadn't even taken a breath as she spoke and even despite her injuries she was trying to not hurt Yukina's feelings.

Kagome paused as Yukina began laughing; after a few moments though, Kagome began to wonder what the hell she had said that was so blasted funny….

Eventually the korime got herself under control.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I'm just so relieved you're awake….And you're right, Hiei is an ass…. I should have known he'd be stopping by soon, he rarely goes more than a few months without coming to check on me."

"Twin, huh?" Kagome muttered, carefully sitting up.

"I know…. Hard to imagine, right?"

"Just a little," Kagome stated, "You're nothing alike. I mean…. I can kinda see a bit of a family resemblance in the face and eyes….and the height…. But, you're so nice and sweet….and he's so….so... homicidal…."

Yukina smirked at Kagome's phrasing; wondering how many words the priestess thought of and tossed out before settling on 'homicidal' as the least offensive.

"And isn't he a fire demon?" Kagome asked, "I distinctly remember him setting fire to those low level demons…."

"Technically we're hybrids…" Yukina stated. "Our mother was a Korime like me and our father was a fire demon…like my brother. My mother broke Korime law by lying with a male…. And the offspring of that union was believed to be dangerous and unclean. Since I was born a korime, like my mother I was spared…. But Hiei… just be being born male and part fire demon he was cast out of our village as an infant. Mother's friend Rui was charged with binding him and casting him from the cliffs of our glacier home. Hina, our mother, died soon after….."

"Oh. My. God…. I'm so sorry, Yukina," Kagome cried, "That's awful!"

"Hiei is refered to as an 'imiko', a cursed child…." Yukina said, "And he's had a very hard life…. But it's made him strong. He's accomplished so much….and achieved things that most people thought were impossible…."

Kagome smiled as she listened to Yukina talk about her brother; there was definatley a certain amount of hero worship there. Not surprising though, thinking back on all the stories Yukina had told her and now all sorts of little details suddenly made sense.

"You're proud of him," Kagome stated, gingerly scooting up enough that she was able to lean against the wall, "Tell me about him."

Kagome listened as Yukina talked; telling her how she had found out she had a brother and set off to find him, only to be captured by a human who wanted her tear-gems. Kagome had heard this particular story before of course – it was the story of how Yukina and Kazuma met after all. Yet this time, Yukina didn't omit the part where her brother beat the crap out the human who had hurt her, how she should have known then who the fierce fire-demon was.

It dawned on Kagome, that while Yukina had told many stories about 'the guys', as she called them, she never really spoke about her brother. Considering that he was part of this group that Kagome had yet to be officially introduced to- she didn't count running into them at the mall as any sort of proper introduction; it was safe to assume that this Hiei had been present along with the others, yet, Yukina always seemed to gloss over his presence.

If she hadn't heard the pride in the korime's voice, Kagome would have assumed that she was ashamed of the apparently very temperamental demon; clearly though, Yukina loved her brother very much and was extremely proud of everything he had accomplished in his life. So why gloss over his part in all the stories?

Only one answer came to mind…. She was protecting him.

How…incredibly sweet.

"He sounds like an amazing individual, Yukina," Kagome said, "And a good brother."

"He is," she replied with a sad smile, "It's just hard for him to really…connect to anyone. Our relationship is tentative at best…. I don't think he really knows how to talk to me….. Not like he's really a talker in the first place. He's very quiet and aloof…. Whenever he is here, normally we just kind of sit in silence….. Or I'll talk and tell him about stupid random things that happen around here. I doubt he really cares at all about what plants I put in the garden, or the new recipe I tried…. But he never stops me or tells me to shut up like he would Botan or even Yusuke…."

"He probably likes to listen to you talk," Kagome said, thinking back on how a certain quiet and aloof daiyoukai would listen to his young human ward prattle on about nothing for hours before very gently asking her to be still. "InuYasha's brother was like that, I think. That demon rarely spoke and when he did it was either an insult or a threat of some kind. I never would have pegged him to be the sort to take care of anything; yet, a few months after he lost to InuYasha that first time around, he had this adorable little girl with him. She was the sweetest thing…. And completely devoted to him. She would dance around them as they walked and talk about anything and everything and he never got mad at her…. Never raised his voice, never said a harsh word to the girl. Hell, I think the only reason he got involved with our battle with Naraku was because the fool tried to hurt Rin. Didn't help that the idiot tried to absorb Sesshomaru too-as if that would really work…. I'm sure, even if InuYasha hadn't shown up when he did… Sesshomaru would have gotten out without difficulty."

Yukina laughed, "I doubt Hiei would ever be able to tolerate a child running after him…."

Kagome grinned, "You never know…. He may surprise you. Wait 'til you have a kid and he's suddenly 'Uncle Hiei', I bet he won't be nearly as aloof as he'd like to be then."

"Oh dear, don't even tease," Yukina replied, "Hiei would kill Kazuma on principle if he even thought I was pregnant. Hiei can't stand Kazuma."

"And yet….he's still alive to date his baby sister…." Kagome replied with a smirk, "I think, if your brother really wanted your suitor gone…. Then team-mate or not, Kazuma would be gone."

They talked for a while longer, until the door slide open and Genkai walked into the room.

"I thought I heard voices," Genkai said, "You feeling up to moving?"

"Depends on your definition of 'moving'," Kagome said, "If it involves cruel and unusual torture methods cleverly disguised as 'training' then no… I'm not up to moving…."

"Mouthy little chit, ain't you," Genkai snorted, though amusement shone in her dark eyes. "I was thinking more along the lines of food…."

"Food is good…." Kagome allowed; wincing slightly as she slowly stood.

"Good," the psychic stated, then glancing at Yukina, "They're here, if you hadn't noticed already."

"Here?" Kagome muttered around gritted teeth, "Who's here?"

Neither answered her question as they slowly made their way into the main portion of the temple. Still weak and recovering from her near brush with death; it wasn't until Kagome was just outside the main room door that she felt it.

Or rather….them.

Demons. Two of them.

Powerful to boot too.

"It's ok," Yukina said, as Kagome froze just outside the door, "They're friendly…"

"Honestly girl," Genkai admonished, "Do you think we'd patch you up just to turn around and hand you over to some demons?"

Well…. Wouldn't necessarily be the first time she'd been betrayed by someone she trusted…..still, Genkai made a valid point. They hadn't caused her harm up to this point…. Unless of course you count the fact that a homicidal demon had nearly killed her outside the shrine….

Reluctantly she followed Genkai, and perhaps, just maybe…she held on to Yukina's arm a little tighter then was really necessary.

"Yo, Grandma," a familiar brash voice called, "What the hell happened to your porch?"

"Hiei happened," Genkai replied.

"Huh? What'd he do, get pissed because he tripped or something?" The speaker, the dark haired daiyoukai Kagome had seen at the mall asked with a grin. What was his name? Urameshi. Yusuke Urameshi….

"More likely he and Kuwabara got into another disagreement," a second voice stated in an amused tone; where Urameshi's voice was loud and brash, this one held a cool sophistication.

Kagome instantly recognized the one called Shuichi; He was rather easy to spot with all that red hair.

"Actually," Kagome muttered, drawing the attention of the two demons, "He seemed to take offense to the fact I was breathing the same air as him…."

"The young woman from the mall," Shuichi said, glancing at Yukina and Genkai, "What's going on? What is she doing here?"

"So you're Kagome," Yusuke said, startling everyone, "Kuwabara told me 'bout you; said you make a seriously killer omelet."

Kagome smiled at him, flattered at Kuwabara's praise; "It's my specialty," she replied.

"While this revelation is intriguing," Shuichi said, emerald eyes hard, "It still doesn't explain why she is _here_."

"Master Genkai had been training me," Kagome stated simply.

"Training?" Shuichi asked.

"Oooooooh….sucks to be you," Yusuke said at the same time, wincing in sympathy.

"Yes," Yukina said, her soft voice somehow seemed to cut through the room, "Master Genkai has been training both of us."

Yusuke grinned, "You're training too? That's great…. I didn't know you wanted to."

Yukina smiled at the younger demon lord, "Yes, I wanted to become stronger. I know that should anything happen, you all would come to my aide…. But it simply isn't wise to rely so heavily on others to protect me. I am a demon; I should be able to protect myself."

"And you?" Shuichi demanded to Kagome, "What are your reasons for being here?"

Kagome narrowed her eyes at the demon, for some odd reason he reminded her of her Shippo, maybe it was just the eyes….they both had brilliant green eyes.

"Not that it's any of YOUR business, _demon_," Kagome replied coldly, straightening to her full height despite the pain in her side, "But after running into you at the mall I realized that I didn't have a snowballs chance in hell of defending myself and my family from creatures like you…. Not in my current level at least."

As she spoke, her energy surged as her temper flared; even as depleted as she was, it was enough to force the two to retreat a few steps.

"What the hell was that?" Yusuke demanded, curiosity lighting his dark eyes, "Do it again!"

"A priestess?!" Shuichi demanded, whirling on Genkai, "You allowed a priestess here? Near Yukina? Are you insane? No wonder Hiei attacked!"

"Actually," Yukina stated, stepping up to stand side by side with Kagome, "I'm well aware of why my brother attacked. I was also the one who asked Genkai to train Kagome. I've known what she was the moment I saw her."

"Dude, relax," Yusuke muttered, "Hiei's got to learn, same as all of us at some point had to learn, that he can't control who his sister is around. Genkai wouldn't have allowed Kagome here to stay at the temple, if she thought that she would hurt any of us. Jeez Kurama… what's with you ol' timers getting so pissy over who talks to who."

"It's called territory, Yusuke," Shuichi, apparently 'Kurama' to everyone else, "You're still too human to understand it."

"Bullshit," Yusuke retorted, "I get the whole territory thing, I had territory back when I was human…and I kicked the asses of anyone dumb enough to try and encroach on my turf….. But Yukina ain't territory, nor is this temple. It's a neutral zone…. So that territory bull doesn't apply."

"Her brother showed up while we were sparring," Kagome said, tiredly, "So I can only assume he thought I was trying to hurt his sister…."

"Which is why we asked you here," Genkai said, "We need your assistance, not a lecture…."

Dark eyes looked pointedly at a certain red head.

"Would you guys help keep an eye on Kagome for the next few weeks," Yukina asked, "Just until we can explain to Hiei she's not a threat."

"Wait, say what?" Kagome turned to look at the korime with wide eyes, "Threat? Why the hell does he think I'm a threat? I barely scratched the bast…er…I mean...him…"

Yukina looked sadly at Kagome; sure she was going to end up losing her friend of this.

"My brother sometimes has a one track mind," she said softly, "He's relentless when it comes to eliminating any and all things he precieves as a threat to me...and if he believes you - as a Miko- are a threat..."

Kagome felt light headed for a moment.

"Meaning he's going to try and kill me….again?"

"Well….."

"Wonderful…just bloody wonderful," Kagome muttered, "I need to sit down…."

Absently she walked out of the main room and dropped down on the temple porch stairs.

"I'm sorry…." Yukina said, "I..."

"Hey, it's fine," Kagome said, seeing the unshed tears glistening in the korime's eyes, "It's just been a while since I last had a demon with a grudge against me…and him being your brother just makes things more complicated since now that means I can't just purify him."

"Kagome…."

"No…" Kagome said, "He's your brother and no matter how justified…. I'd never be able to take him from you. He's just doing what any good brother should and looking after his sister…."

"I don't want you to get hurt, Kagome…." Yukina said, "I'd never be able to forgive him if he hurt you…."

"Well," Yusuke said, coming to stand next to the two women, "Then let's hope that we can talk some sense into him before he fucks shit up for everyone."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yaaaaaay another chapter down. ^.^ I hope ya'll enjoyed. As always please REVIEW!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own IY or YYH**

* * *

><p><strong> Good Man<strong>

**Chapter 9**

* * *

><p>He watched from a distance, his Jagan giving him the ability to see just as clearly as if he was standing right beside his prey.<p>

Yukina hadn't left the girl's side, nor had the two left the safety of the temple.

Still, it had only been a few days; eventually the Miko would have to return to her own home, and there, Hiei would be waiting.

He gripped the hilt of his katana, the worn leather creaking in protest. The sun beat down, causing the burn along his cheek to ache.

How ironic, that a fire demon was suffering a burn, even it was a minor one.

He had been lucky, he had underestimated the priestess; had Yukina not knocked that arrow away….

Just the backlash of the energy within the arrow had been enough to give him a burn across his face; the only part of him, at the time, that had been fully exposed thanks to his sister.

Since when had she been able to use her powers in such a way? Yukina had always been such an innocent and delicate flower – since when had she had any battle prowess at all?

Still, he couldn't deny the pride that welled up in his chest; his sweet delicate sister was far stronger than he had imagined. To have frozen him solid….. Not even Seiryu the Blue Dragon had been able to accomplish such a thing. Then to knock a Miko's arrow from the sky…

Yes, he was proud of his sister; even as his chest ached with the knowledge that she had chosen some…_human_ over him.

He didn't know what lies the Miko had told his sister to worm her way into the korime's affections, but Hiei refused to allow that viper to remain near Yukina. There was no telling when she would set whatever plan she had in motion; Yukina wouldn't expect an attack from a friend, nor would she have the heart to defend herself against one.

No… Hiei would eliminate this threat, even if it meant Yukina would hate him; at least she would be safe.

Besides… there was always a chance that she would eventually forgive him, she was after all a forgiving individual. The fact that it would probably take a few centuries was a minor annoyance.

Hiei's eyes narrowed and he bit out a curse as both Yusuke AND Kurama exited the Temple. Figures Yukina and the old hag would enlist their aid.

Knowing his old team-mates were around slightly eased the band of tension that seemed to be strapped around his chest; one that tightened every time he even thought of his sister being so close to one of the ancient demon exterminators.

He hadn't even realized that Miko's still _existed_; their species was thought to have died out after the separation of the Worlds.

As he watched, the small group turned to head back into the Temple; Kurama paused with a foot on the steps, then very deliberately the Fox turned and looked directly at him.

Or seemed too. Hiei was leagues away; there was no possible way for even Kurama's sharp eyes to see him.

However, it was clear that the Fox had sensed his spying.

No matter. Yusuke's and Kurama's involvement wouldn't deter him from his objective.

He would just have to be more careful about it.

* * *

><p>She was being watched.<p>

She knew it; she'd been watched enough in the past that she recognized the sensation when she sensed it.

It was subtle; whoever her little spy was they were good, she had barely felt their presence.

Right… like she didn't know who her spy was. It wasn't like she had pissed off that many telepathic individuals in the last few weeks.

Just one.

She sighed, wishing she knew of some way to convince Yukina's brother that she wasn't a threat.

Granted, she enjoyed the extra company her new 'body guards' presented; honestly she had missed having a large group of friend around. Admittedly she did enjoy Yusuke's company far more than Kurama's.

The red-head, who surprise, surprise, was really a Kitsune-spirit in hiding; treated her with mild courtesy at best.

Small wonder he reminded her so much of her Shippo; though he lacked the warmth and playfulness of her adoptive kit.

The sense of eyes on her progressed on and off for over a month; no one else seemed to sense it, but she knew that she wasn't imagining it.

The moment she had arrived home after she was healed enough for her mother not to have a panic attack upon seeing her; Kagome had gone over the lines of protection around her family's shrine, pouring her power into the barrier.

Every morning she woke with the dawn, she would go outside to strengthen that protective barrier; making sure to do so before her family woke up and questioned her odd obsession of walking the perimeter of the property.

Most days she could sense either Yusuke or Kurama lurking around the edges of the shrine, doing their own patrols.

How long would they keep up their vigilance? Already, after a month, their own lives were calling them away… Kagome couldn't ask them to put their lives on hold simply to watch over her.

Besides, she had been training with Genkai in preparation for situations exactly like this. She felt confident she could hold her own against Yukina's brother when he came – for there was no doubt in Kagome's mind that he would indeed come for her.

After all the stories she had heard about Hiei over the last few weeks, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that the hybrid would show…. No, the question now came down to _how _and_ when._

Would he simply come for her, or would he attempt to come for her whole family in an effort to make sure that no one was left alive to seek vengeance for her death?

She hadn't mentioned this fear to Yukina and the others though; they were already concerned enough. Plus, the one time she had risked mentioning the safety of her family, she was quickly reassured that, though ruthless, Hiei generally had an age limit on his victims; and on the whole, he thought there was no honor in killing defenseless humans.

Kagome had let the matter drop after that; even though she had wanted to scream that this _WASN'T _a normal situation.

Hiei wasn't looking for a random fight or some other silliness; he was looking to protect his only family.

If he really was a ruthless and vicious as she believed, and judging by the stories she had heard over the last month, he was indeed THAT ruthless…. Then the threat to her family was very real.

If it was perhaps just her mother in the house, Kagome might believe that Hiei would indeed discard her family as a threat. However, Souta was there too, and no matter how much she encouraged him to go off to college in another province, or preferably country; the stubborn brat seemed to know something was up and was refusing to leave just yet.

No… there was no way that Hiei would overlook a spiritually gifted young adult male as a threat to his sister.

"You're doing it again," previously mentioned male stated from behind her.

She glanced over her shoulder at her brother and smiled; trying hard to shove the nervousness away.

"Doing what again?" she asked instead.

"Searching," he replied, arms crossed over his chest.

"I dunno what you're talking about," she replied, "I'm just standing here enjoying the nice weather."

"Uh huh…. I'm gonna call bullshit on that one," he retorted, "Stick with the truth, it's what you're good at."

"So you've told me," she grumbled, knowing that she had been caught, yet still reluctant to admit anything. "Seriously, I'm fine..."

"Riiiiiight, so you're not searching for anything," Souta said, his voice heavy with sarcasm, "You don't come out here every morning before everyone wakes up and walk the property. The protective barrier around the shrine hasn't quadrupled in strength in the last month...and you don't have an annoying habit of coming out here every night to sit down next to the blasted Tree of Ages and stare off into the forest…. And I totally don't sense your energy spreading out in some weird attempt to find something."

Kagome remained silent.

"Dammit, Kags," Souta swore, "You're in trouble again, aren't you? That's why those demons have been coming over to the house so regularly now? You went from 'don't talk to them Souta, don't go searching for them, we don't know if they're friendly'….to suddenly they're welcome in our home?"

"Everything is fine, Souta," Kagome said, trying to sooth her brother, "Yusuke and Kurama are friends of Yukina and Kazuma… that's all. Besides, I thought you liked having the extra company."

"That's beside the point and you know it," Souta stated, flopping down next to his sister at the base of the Tree of Ages, "You know I ain't got a problem with Yusuke and Kurama. They're cool. Well, Yusuke is…. Kurama… I just don't know about him. I don't like the way he looks at you sometimes, like he can't decide if he wants to eat you…or kill you. Personally, neither option gives me warm-fuzzy feelings."

"Souta…."

"No…. I know I'm right here," Souta said, cutting off whatever protest his sister was going to use, "I'm a pretty decent judge of character, Kags, you've said so yourself. That Kurama guy…doesn't like you. Plain and simple; which in turn, makes me wonder why the hell he's here. Sure he may be polite and courteous to mom and gramps, but he looks at both us with a barely veiled hostility that makes me want to clock him. If I thought I'd survive the encounter, I'd do just that, Kuwabara's friend or not; but I ain't that stupid. I'm telling you though, he's planning something…."

"He's a kitsune at heart," Kagome admitted, "They're always plotting something."

"A kitsune, oh that's just bloody brilliant," Souta swore, throwing his hands up in the air, "Couldn't you find a few less….hostile demons to befriend? Yukina was perfect; nice and calm and mellow…"

Kagome smirked at her brother's annoyed tirade. Seeing her amusement, he glared at her; though the look lacked any real heat to it.

"Anyway…" Souta growled, "The point I was _TRYING_ to make…. as much as I dislike the way that guy watches you… he ain't the problem. They're both here as some sort of extra muscle…. Tell me I'm wrong."

Damn him, she couldn't lie to him. Why the hell did he have to be so freaking observant?

"Tell me," Souta demanded, "So when the shit hits the fan, I'm not blindsided."

Well hell…. He had a point.

Heaving a defeat sigh, Kagome told him.

"So let me get this straight," he said a few minutes later, scrubbing his hands over his face, "That mean looking fucker we saw at the park is actually Yukina's twin brother…." Kagome nodded. "Who witnessed a sparring session between you and Yukina and misunderstood your intent," Another nod. " And despite having his SISTER stop his attack and vouched for you, he still believes that you are a threat to his twin and is coming to kill you…."

"In a nut shell…..yeah…."

"Bloooody hell," Souta swore, leaning his head back against the Tree's great trunk. They were quiet for several long moments as Souta processed the story his sister just told him.

"You really can't help yourself, can you?" he said, giving her a side-long look.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Getting into trouble….." Souta teased. This time, it was Kagome's turn to groan and throw her hands up in the air.

"Oh for the love of all that is holy," she grumbled, "First InuYasha….now you… I know, I know… I attract trouble like a magnet! I can't help it! It's not like I'm actively LOOKING for trouble! This time I was really trying to lay low…."

Her voice wobbled at the end of her sentence and Kagome closed her eyes against the sudden burning in them. A lump formed in her throat as the stresses of the last few years seemed to suddenly magnify.

"All I wanted was to live a nice quiet life…." She whispered dejectedly, "I never wanted to run into demons again… I didn't want anyone trying to kill me…. I just wanted to finish school and have a reasonably normal life. I mean, don't get me wrong I love Yukina and them… I'm so glad I met them. I just…..I..."

"You just hoped you're adventures were over?" Souta said, pulling his sister into the circle of his arms and gently rubbed her back in soothing motions.

"Heh," Kagome laughed softly, "Yea… I had enough adventures and life and death situations…. By rights, it's your turn, you bama(1)…. Not mine…."

"I know, sis," Souta soothed, "You know I'd take this for you if I could…. You had enough shit to deal with; it's not fair that you have to go through it again."

Kagome snorted, "Since when is life fair?" she asked, or rather demanded; shifting so that she could comfortably rest her head on her brother's shoulder. An action made much easier by the fact that Souta was now a head taller than her.

"True….." Souta agreed, resting his cheek against his sister's head. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the soft lavender scent that always clung to Kagome's person.

It pained him to know that once again his sister was in danger and there wasn't a blasted thing he could do about it. If he could, he'd take this burden from her…. He'd stand between her and danger without hesitation.

But…he knew Kagome would never allow someone else to take on her responsibilities. It was why she had been determined to continue her quest in feudal Japan. It was why she had been determined to become stronger; and one of the many reasons why he looked up to her so much.

They fell into silence then, content to sit in the comforting embrace of the Tree of Ages and enjoy the cool night air.

Unbeknownst to them, emerald eyes watched them from the shadow of the trees.

Absently, Kurama toyed with his rose; gently rubbing the sweet smelling velvet petals against his jaw as he watched the siblings.

Centuries of instinct urged him to eliminate the threat the two Higurashi youth's presented; however…. Neither had made any hostile actions towards his friends. Other than the battle with Hiei; the girl hadn't made any aggressive moves against Yukina, Yusuke or his own self. Yet, that very battle also proved the girls potential.

Power clung to her despite her best efforts to disguise what she was – which, admittedly she was very good at; but now that he knew what she was and what to look for…. It was glaringly obvious.

The girl had power, and now, thanks to Genkai, she had training; and if she had indeed been able to hold her own against Hiei, even for a few short moments… she had some measure of skill.

Things would be so much simpler if he just killed them both and been done with it. A few years ago, he might have done just that too. Yet, even as his cold rational left him convinced that the best response was to be rid of the siblings; time spent around Yusuke and his mother held him back.

Though, even knowing how much Yusuke, Kazuma and even Yukina would hate him; their disapproval wasn't the main reason he held himself in check. Nor was it the reason he had agreed to guard the girl.

In truth he cared very little for the girl or her family; the preservation of the lives of his friends and family were far more important to him then some random human.

No, the main reason he had agreed to guard the girl was not to protect her…. But to prevent Hiei was killing a human.

Should Reikai hear that Hiei was even CONTEMPLATING killing a human; Koenma would lock the hybrid up and throw away the key.

Not that Kurama was sure that Koenma even had the facilities to confine the fire demon; but Kurama wasn't willing to risk it. At least….not a direct assault….

"So I take it, it's not just Hiei who wants Kagome dead, hm?"

Kurama froze at Yusuke's voice above him.

Dammit, he had been focusing too much on the siblings and not paying enough attention to his surroundings.

The Mazoku landed silently beside him, arms held casually at his sides; though Kurama wasn't foolish enough to believe that Yusuke was at ease. In fact, he would hazard to say that a casual Yusuke was far more dangerous than a tense one….

"I won't deny that instinct urges me to eliminate the danger those two present," Kurama stated, tucking his rose back into his hair, "However, you are well aware that I am not a slave to my instincts."

"Oh, I wasn't worried about that," Yusuke stated, "I'm not a fool, Kurama. I spent years working with you and Hiei; I'd like to think I know ya'll pretty well. So I'm well aware that it's no love of human life that is preventing you from following those instincts you tried to dismiss so casually. It's Koenma you're worried about. Neither of you are willing to risk Reikai's punishment should you kill them…. And we both know the toddler would find out."

Kurama didn't respond. There was no need to.

"I'm more worried about how far you are willing to take this," Yusuke said, "Hiei is just gonna come in here a try and kill her. He's not one for complex plans or trying to make it look like their death was an accident…. You on the other hand…"

Finally Kurama turned to glare at him, his emerald eyes glowing in the darkness.

"You believe I would somehow cause an 'accident' that would lead to the sibling's death?" Kurama asked looking bored, "You insult me."

"I'm sure," Yusuke retorted, "This is coming from the same being that sent an assassin after Yomi. Oooooh no, you would _NEVER_ send someone else to do your dirty work or try to get rid of someone on the sly…. Not you…oh no…."

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, Yusuke," Kurama stated.

"Clearly," he snipped nacl, "That's why you and the shrimp use it so often."

Kurama glared at the Mazoku; who sent him a cocky grin in return.

He sighed, knowing that he had somehow lost this battle-to Yusuke of all people. He didn't need the Ex-Detective to tell him that should anything happen to the Higurashi siblings, anything at all, that he would assume it was the result of careful planning by Kurama….and he didn't need to be told that Yusuke would not hesitate to bring the matter before Koenma.

Damn Yusuke and his loyalty. It was both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness….

"Just be careful," Kurama said, "They are dangerous and shouldn't be trusted."

"Funny," Yusuke replied, "That's what I was told about you and shorty."

With that, Kurama turned, fading back into the shadows of the woods. Yusuke stared after the kitsune avatar for several moments; unease coiling in his belly.

Turning back, he watched as the two siblings stood and made their way back into the house; Kagome paused for a moment, her pale eyes finding him easily in the shadows and gave him a small wave. He grinned and waved back; before leaping back to the roof of the house.

He liked Kagome and her family; they were a good bunch of people. He also liked how happy and open Yukina had become since meeting the priestess.

Granted, the sweet demure korime seemed to have picked up a few bad habits from the humans; not that Yusuke minded. He thought it was hysterical the first time he heard Yukina swear; hysterical and mildly terrifying.

Who knew that the cold demoness had that much fire in her?

Yusuke smirked; the resemblance between the Yukina and Hiei had become more visible over the last few years. They were both complete opposites and startling similar.

He just wished there was some way he could convince Hiei to give Kagome a chance. The priestess had a sweet heart that was large enough to include even the frosty fire demon. She had already forgiven him for attempting to kill her…. Honestly, who the hell does that?

Well, other than him, of course.

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><p><strong>AN: Yay...another chapter... I had a pretty good amount of creativity flowing today, so I'll be posting a second chapter here shortly. Woohoo...go me. I hope you enjoyed. As always...don't forget to REVIEW!**

_(1)Bama isn't really a word. I mean… yes technically it's in the 'urban dictionary' listed as meaning 'dude' or 'person'. Personally though, my brother and I always used it as a mock insult word like 'jerk' or 'brat' or something. So that's how I'm using it here…_


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own IY or YYH**

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><p><strong>Good Man<strong>

**Chapter 10**

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><p>Kagome wanted to swear as she silently waited by the busy high school gates for her brother to get out. She had been running a few errands and thought it would be nice to see if Souta would like to grab some ice cream. Now, though, she had a freaking audience.<p>

Figures, the one day everyone was busy was the one day _HE_ had to show up.

She couldn't see him yet, but she felt the bastard's energy. He wasn't even trying to hide.

She thought about walking away, leaving the school and hoping that he would follow her and leave her brother in peace.

However, with as fast as she knew he was; Kagome wasn't willing to risk him attacking her then zipping back to the school to attack her near defenseless brother.

No, it was just better to wait. It would be easier to protect Souta with him nearby; if they were lucky and kept to traveling in crowds, maybe they could reach the protection of the shrine without a confrontation.

Even as she hoped for a peaceful outcome, experience warned her that a confrontation was inevitable.

As her brother came strolling out of the school; Kagome forced her unease down and plastered on a smile.

"SOUTA!" she called, waving. Grinning when he spotted her, Souta hurried over.

"Hey sis!" He said, "Whatcha doin' here?"

"I was doing errands and thought I'd see if you wanted to get some ice cream with me," Kagome said, "If you're not busy or anything."

"As if I could refuse ice cream," Souta said, then turning back to his friends, "I'll catch ya'll later, guys."

As they walked away, Souta's smile faded, "So what's the real reason you're here?"

"Well, I had initially come by to bribe you with ice cream to keep me company while I finished my errands," Kagome said.

"I hear a 'but' in there…." Souta muttered.

"Buuuut," Kagome replied, confirming her brothers guess, "We seem to have company."

Beside her Souta tensed, "Are you shitting me? Seriously?"

"Calm down," Kagome snapped, "Act casual."

"'Act casual' she says," He muttered darkly, "As if there isn't some homicidal demon watching us right now…." Then, in a far calmer voice, "Where?"

"The roof-top, our five-o'clock," Kagome stated, grabbing his arm as he instinctively started to turn, "Don't look, dolt! What's wrong with you?"

"Sorry…." He grumbled, "So what do we do."

"We go and get ice cream," Kagome stated. She didn't need to look at her brother to see the wide-eyed confused look he was giving her.

"Ice cream?"

"Casual, Souta," she stated, "There's a very slim chance that if we can stay in the crowds and don't make any sudden moves….that we can get back to the shrine. Granted, it's a very slim chance…. But it's all we got."

"Wonderful," he muttered, "How can you be so calm?"

Kagome chuckled, "This isn't the first time something has stalked me, bro."

"That's both terrifying and oddly comforting," he stated as they turned to move into the ice cream shop.

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><p>Hiei scowled as the two humans disappeared into the crowded shop; he had been certain that the priestess had sensed his presence.<p>

Clearly he had been mistaken.

Either that or she simply didn't comprehend the gravity of her situation.

He continued to follow the siblings as they moved through the crowded streets, going into various stores….. Always staying in the most populated areas.

They were a block from the shrine when it suddenly dawned on him what she was doing. Clever little witch.

So she thought that if she stayed with the crowds that would provide her with some sort of safety. Typical prey mentality.

Grinning, he removed his head band, exposing the Jagan.

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><p>"Oh dear…." Kagome muttered, as suddenly all the people on the street seemed to clear out.<p>

"What….. Where…." Souta said, looking around, "Where the hell did everyone go?"

Kagome grabbed her brother's hand; there was no reason to pretend anymore. She bolted for the shrine; it was only a block away.

Thankfully, Souta didn't protest as he was jerked into a run.

They hadn't gone far before a black shadow dropped down in front of them. Kagome slide to a stop; hastily back pedaling to put a little more distance between them and the daiyoukai before them.

Kagome swallowed hard, day light did little to diminish the dark malicious aura that clung to the fire demon. He watched them silently; dark garnet eyes seemed to glitter in anticipation.

"That's Yukina's brother?" Souta muttered under his breath, "I don't see the family resemblance…"

"Hush," Kagome growled, concentrating on forming a barrier around them both, "When I give the word, run for the shrine."

"But…"

"No arguing," She hissed, "Get to the shrine, I'll be right behind you…."

Outwardly, Kagome congratulated herself on maintaining her calm façade; internally however, she was praying that Yusuke was on his way, or Kazuma and Yukina…or hell, at this point, she would even be happy to see Kurama….

The soft sigh of metal clearing a sheath sent a chill down Kagome's spine.

_You can do this,_ she told herself; _you've been training for exactly this reason…. Protect Souta, and get to the shrine…._

Still, unease sat heavy in her stomach; this was Yukina's _brother_….

This time, when he moved, Kagome was prepared. Shoving Souta out of the way, she leapt to the side; Hiei's blade barely missing her as it sparked off the asphalt.

"RUN!" she screamed, relieved to see Souta bolt toward the shrine. Thank the heavens for all that soccer training; her brother was quick on his feet.

Kagome flung herself backward and rolled; not bothering to look behind her as she too, bolted for the shrine.

Though, unlike her brother, she didn't make a direct bee-line for home. She took off at more of an angle; heading for the woods that surrounded the property. If she was going to give Souta time to get back to safety; then she needed to put as much distance and as many obstacles as she could between her and Yukina's dear brother.

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><p>Souta raced up the shrine steps, silently thanking both his mother and coach for suggesting that he use the massive set of stairs as part of his at-home training regime.<p>

As it was, he hit the top of the stairs barely winded; the adrenaline pumping through his system giving him extra energy.

How long could Kagome hold off that demon? He knew his sister was reluctant to hurt him do to the fact that he was Yukina's brother. The reluctance would cost her…and Souta would be damned if he lost his sister because of her own damn bleeding heart.

A quick check of the shrine revealed that no one was home; not even his mother and grandfather. Swearing, Souta raced towards the well-house.

Of all the blasted times for those demons to conveniently be busy…. When he saw Yusuke and Kurama again, he didn't care if they were 'daiyoukai', he was gonna beat the every living hell out of them.

Shoving open the well's old wooden door; Souta snatched the long, thin, dark colored bag from its hiding place in the back corner, and was back out the door and racing down the hill toward his sister's energy.

He slide to a stop as the hill dropped off into a creek bed; about twenty yards away, he spied his sisters yellow shirt through the trees.

He sighed in relief to see that her training with Yukina seemed to be paying off; she was at least holding her own against the demon.

He scowled, just like he figured, Kagome was just defending. The idiot didn't want to hurt Yukina's brother.

"Dammit, Kagome," he grumbled, unzipping his bag. A gift from one of his American friends a few years ago; Souta had kept it secret from both his sister and his mother. He had specifically hidden it inside the well-house; knowing none of the family would look inside.

Loading several of the cartridges, Souta shouldered the weapon and moved closer. He crouched beside a tree; slightly above the two fighters.; he had a clear shot from that position.

He raised the weapon, tucking it tight against his shoulder and sighted down the barrel. Then, he concentrated his energy….. He had never actually tried to use his emerging power before; but after years of watching his sister concentrate the energy into her arrows…he thought he understood the concept.

In any case; even if it didn't work…. It would hurt enough to distract that three-eyed bastard and give Kagome a moment to get her footing.

At the moment, Kagome let out a pained cry as she was knocked backward into a tree.

Souta took a deep calming breath, concentrated…and pulled the trigger.

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><p>Kagome moaned as she shook the stars from her vision; Hiei was closing in once again, and once again she had lost her weapon. Wood really was not much of a deterrent for a sword….<p>

She scuttled backward, scrambling to find something to use to defend herself.

Suddenly a loud crack echoed through the woods and her attacker was nearly knocked off his feet as something seemed to slam into his shoulder.

Garnet eyes glowed with fury as the demon snarled; blood oozed from his shoulder. He shifted, looking past her, a little further up the hill; searching for his assailant.

Another crack; this time Kagome could see the smoke rise from the wound. Hiei snarled low; his face an odd contortion of pain, surprise and fury.

"Sis! Move!" Souta's voice called, hard and determine.

She threw herself to the side; even as another shot rang through the still air. She whirled around to stare at the now kneeling form behind her; wisps of smoke rose from each bloody wound.

The sound of another round being chambered forced her gaze away from the furious demon, to the equally furious face of her younger brother. Hard dark eyes locked with chilling red as the two brothers glared at each other.

Hiei's hand tensed around the hilt of his katana.

"Don't," Souta said, his voice cold and deadly, "You're not the only one with a sister to protect, demon. You so much as twitch and I swear I'll put the next bullet in that third eye of yours. Then we'll see how easily you get up after that."

"Souta…."

"Kagome, back up out of range," he said, cutting off her protest. Then digging into his pocket, he tossed her his phone. "Call Yusuke and tell him to get his and Kurama's ass over here."

"Yea sure..." Kagome said, catching the device, then,"Wait you had a phone?! All this time we could have called for help! Why didn't you mention you had a phone?!"

"I forgot?" Souta replied, having the grace to look embarrassed.

"You...FORGOT?!"

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><p><strong>AN: Yaaaay go me, two chapters in one day. I feel so accomplished. LOL. I hope ya'll liked it. It took me a while to figure out how this confrontation should go, since no matter how I looked at it, I simply couldn't imagine Kagome besting Hiei in a one-on-one fight...not after only a few months of training, and especially since this time he was more or less prepared. And I didn't really want Yusuke or Kurama to save her, that's just to...cliché. So that left Kuwabara...again, to cliché... and Souta. And the only thing I could think of that would surprise Hiei and give Souta any sort of edge over our favorite demon, is a gun...or in this case a rifle. I'll state now that I have no idea what Japanese gun laws are, or if they even have them... so if this is horribly inaccurate-I apologize and ask that you just pretend. It's a fairly small part and I doubt that it'll be more then a minor detail in the fic. Anyway, I hope ya'll enjoyed it...and as always REVIEW!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own IY or YYH**

**A/N: Wow thank you for all the awesome reviews :) And yes I know Kurama was a bit harsh in the last chapters... but he normally is when confronted with something he perceives as a threat. Remember, to Hiei and Kurama Kagome isn't a sweet, harmless, well intentioned girl... she's a 'Miko' a being that kills demons simply for existing. We're dealing with prejudice here folks...and it's normally NOT rational. But don't worry... this is Kagome we're talking about... if she managed to worm her way into Sesshomaru's good graces then Hiei and Kurama don't stand a chance, they just don't realize it yet. LOL. Plus she has Yukina there as support... who could possibly say no to our sweet, innocent, little korime?**

**Now, on with the fic!**

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><p><strong>Good Man<strong>

**Chapter 11**

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><p>Yusuke blinked slowly as he listened to the Higurashi siblings bicker; it had been over an hour since he had gotten Kagome's call and raced over, expecting to find…well he wasn't sure… Panic and mayhem perhaps? He was certainly NOT expecting to find the two siblings arguing back and forth over a pissed Hiei; who was kneeling in a pool of his own blood on the forest floor, sporting two new holes and a nasty burn along his ribs.<p>

Oddly enough it was Hiei who looked relieved at his presence rather than the two humans.

"They haven't shut up since they called you," Hiei stated by way of greeting, "This is cruel and unusual torment even by Makai standards."

"Can it, three-eyes," Souta snapped, "It's your own damn fault for trying to kill my sister, so sit there and shut up like a good little demon…."

Hiei snarled, making a lunge for the boy despite the injury to his leg; Yusuke immediately intercepted the furious imiko, preventing any further harm on both sides of the battlefield.

"Souta! Quit provoking the demon!" Kagome admonished angrily.

"Why do I have to be nice to him?" Souta snapped, "If it wasn't for me, you'd be a lot 'holier' then you are now, sis..."

"Seriously?" Kagome growled, rolling her eyes,, as her brother chortled at his own humor "That's soooo lame. And I was holding my own just find thank you..."

"Yea right!," Souta said, "What were you doing? Playing 'how close can I let the demon sword get to me before I fry his ass'?"

"ENOUGH!" Yusuke roared, startling everyone with his sudden outburst. "Good grief! Enough already!"

Three pairs of eyes starred at him like he had suddenly grown a third head.

"Now," He said, mentally counting to ten like Keiko was always telling him to in order to calm down, "How about ya'll head back up to the house, I'd like to speak to Hiei and then I'll join you. 'Kay?"

"Yea, sure…" Kagome muttered.

"Feh…" Souta grumbled, sounding remarkably like InuYasha at the moment, "Don't have to get all loud and all…."

"Pushy demons," he heard one of them mutter darkly, "Think they can order people around... stupid holier-than-thou..."

Yusuke rubbed his temples as the sentence trailed off and the two disappeared up the hill.

"Why, oh why, do I get stuck with this bullshit…?" He muttered to himself; he was going to need the whole bottle of Tylenol when he got home.

Sitting on the damp forest floor to ease the pressure of his injured leg, Hiei gave him a droll stare,

"Do you want me to list the reasons alphabetically or numerically?"

"Shut it, shorty," Yusuke growled, glaring at his old friend, "Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?"

"And I'm not talking about the gun, you idiot," Yusuke snapped as Hiei opened his mouth, immediately the hybrid's jaw snapped shut. "I'm talking about the fact that if you had actually killed them, you'd have Reikai all over your sorry ass! You know as well as I do that Koenma would love to lock you up in some deep dark hole where he never has to even think about you again! Hell, if he gets wind that you attacked Kagome and her brother…. He's gonna have his reason! What then, hm? Did you even bother to think past your prejudice? What do you think would happen to Yukina if you are locked up again? Hm?"

Yusuke paused for breath; barely restraining his urge to throttle the smaller male.

"Are you finished?" Hiei growled, wincing as he forced himself to his feet. "That woman is a threat to Yukina and you, you fool. Her brother too. They are our natural enemies, Detective." Hiei motioned to the still smoking wound in his shoulder, "Do you think that a _normal_ bullet would have hurt me? Those bullets were imbued with holy energy; if that boy had been a better shot, I'd be dead, not in pain...dead, Yusuke. They are dangerous..."

"Yes I know," Yusuke replied, "But so are you. So am I...hell, so is Kurama. We're all dangerous, Hiei. Kieko, Yukina, Shiori... they wouldn't be in danger if it wasn't for us. Just by their association with us, they are exposed to dangers. That is a sad fact of life for those who love us; and a risk they willingly take on."

"Look," Yusuke said his voice deceptively calm, "I know you don't like Kagome and her brother. I know you and Kurama both have issues with them. That's fine. I don't really give a shit; ya'll can have your hang-ups. Fact is; this isn't Feudal Japan, Kagome isn't some demon exterminator bent on annihilating all demons. She's a nice, sweet girl who accepts everyone. The only reason she attacked you was because you attacked her. Plain and simple. Your sister is a big girl, Hiei; her and Kagome have been training together with Genkai for the better part of a year now; A YEAR, Hiei….and Yukina is STILL HERE. And, from what I hear, she'd grown powerful and has a certain degree of immunity to Kagome's powers. Hence why she survived direct contact with that arrow and didn't lose an arm."

He growled at the reminder of the injury his sister received at the Miko's hands; the fact that had he not attacked Kagome first, there would have been no reason for the priestess to defend herself and thus Yukina would never have felt the need to jump between him and a blessed arrow….was merely coincidental and completely lost on the stubborn hybrid.

"Both Yukina and Kuwabara are friends with her," Yusuke continued, his dark eyes flashing with the irritation that bellied the calmness of his voice, "now you may not trust your sister….that's between you and her… and Kuwabara may be a screw up in life, but you know damn well when it comes to Yukina he doesn't play around. If he thought for even a second that Kagome OR Souta were a threat to your sister… he'd make sure to get her as far away as possible. His gift doesn't lie either…I may give him grief about it, but it's never been wrong."

"And personally," Yusuke said, "It makes me feel a little better leaving Keiko here while I attend to things in the Makai; knowing that if she needed to, or if some shit went down, all she has to do is run over to Kagome's shrine and she'll be safe... I think that girl has better protection on her property then Genkai does. Then on the off chance that something somehow got past her defensive wards... that there are people here that have the ability to lay you -one of the toughest bastards I know of - out...hell, that makes it even better in my opinion. I've only know the Higurashi's for a few weeks, but I know that they'd give sanctuary to anyone who sought it, and they would defend them until their dying breath."

Hiei remained silent, stubbornly glaring at the forest around them.

"Look," Yusuke sighed, sounding tired, "Just give them a chance. Kagome loves your sister like her own flesh and blood; she'd do anything for Yukina. Stick around a while, heal up…. You shouldn't be going to the Makai with bullet holes anyway. They might surprise you."

With that, Yusuke turned and headed back up the hill; leaving Hiei leaning heavily against a tree. The wounds he received were minor compared to most; but they burned like acid, thanks to the liberal amounts of holy energy that still lingered in the wounds.

It was several long moments before Hiei spoke, his gaze flicking to the shadowy form hidden among the underbrush;

"You coming to lecture me as well Fox?" Hiei growled.

"No," Kurama stated, "I tend to agree with you. However, Yusuke does make a valid point. Furthermore, I am not to keen on the idea of drawing Koenma's attention any more then I have to. So, for the moment, I have agreed to wait."

The red-head moved casually up beside his friend and partner, cool green eyes calmly assessing his injuries. He didn't bother to offer his smaller companion aid; he knew the imiko's pride, already stinging from being wounded in the first place, would not allow it. Instead he simply walked close beside him, occasionally 'bumping' into his friend's shoulder; using the subtle movement to help steady the stubborn demon as he hobbled along on his injured leg.

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><p>Yukina raced up the Higurashi shrine steps, her heart pounding. Her shoulder and leg ached and she had an odd stitch in her side; but she shoved these pains away in her rush to get to her friend's home.<p>

"KAGOME!" she called, catching sight of the roughed-up priestess as she crested the stairs.

The Miko was dirty, there were leaves in her hair and her clothes were ripped and splattered with small amounts of blood; but for the most part she looked no worse for wear. Beside her, Souta didn't look remotely ruffled; though Yukina could see the slight tremor in his hands as the adrenaline wore off.

"Are you guys alright?" she asked, experienced eyes flicking over the pair to confirm her initial inspection of their health.

"We're fine," Kagome assured her, "I'm only a little banged up; a few scrapes and bruises, nothing serious. I get worse training with you."

Yukina smiled, her pale eyes misting over as her own fear began to dissipate. She pulled her human friend into a tight embrace,

"Don't you dare scare me like that again," she growled, "I thought I'd lost you…and to know that my brother would…that he was….."

Kagome's eyes got wide as a sob wracked her friends slim shoulders; beside her, Souta stared as small, marble sized stones seemed to roll down his sisters arm and bounce across the cobblestones.

Wide-eyed, Souta picked up one of the small, pale, iridescent stones and glanced at Yusuke as the older male moved up beside him; the question clear in his eyes.

Yusuke took the stone from Souta; his gaze turning to watched as Kagome completely ignored the precious stones that fell at her feet and concentrated on comforting the demoness.

"They are Yukina's tears," Yusuke said softly so only Souta could hear, "They are extremely valuable and one of the reasons that Hiei is so protective of his sister. She's been…uh…. Hurt in order to get these…."

"You mean someone tortured her," Souta stated, his dark eyes narrowing, "Just so someone could cash in on her tears?"

Yusuke nodded, "Yes, it was how Kuwabara and I first met her," he explained, "We saved her from a man who held her captive."

"Can…do all demons like her produce these?" Souta asked. Yusuke nodded,

"Yes, from what I understand, it's a trait of the Korime. Not that I know for a fact, they remain isolated. Yukina is rather….unique for her kind."

Souta sighed heavily, "Guess I can't really blame that Hiei guy for being an over-protective ass," he muttered, "Especially since I know how he feels."

Yusuke quirked an eyebrow at the younger male a smirk curling his lips; Souta shot him an annoyed look,

"That doesn't mean I like him," he clarified, "It just means that I understand where he's coming from…."

"Sometimes that's all that matters," Yusuke replied, and then glancing back at the two women, "Do you think Kagome is going to hold a grudge?"

"Who, Kagome?" Souta laughed, "Hell naw….pretty much all her friends have tried to kill her, kidnap her, or steal from her…. I give it a year before she somehow has your uptight buddy wrapped around her little finger."

"No way," Yusuke retorted, "Hiei is an antisocial little shit…. Even after five years he still can't admit that he doesn't hate me. There's no way."

Souta's turned to give Yusuke a sly Cheshire grin full of mischief, "Hundred bucks, says she does…."

Yusuke turned to consider the young male; standing nearly as tall as he was, with that cocky confident smile, there was no way he could turn down such an easy bet. Hiei hated everyone. The only one Hiei cared about in the slightest, was Yukina….and he could barely admit that. There is no way a human Miko could get under his skin.

"Deal…." Yusuke said, "A year…..and he has to admit it."

"Please, you know he won't admit it verbally," Souta responded, neither noticing the two women approaching them.

"Fine, he's a physical kinda guy," Yusuke countered, "Some physical sign then."

"Agreed," Souta retorted.

"'Some physical sign' of what?" Kagome asked, leaning down to pick up several pearls that had scattered across the courtyard.

"Nothing…." Souta replied hastily, whipping around at he sound of his sisters voice. Then, seeing Kagome's suspicious look he held up the small gem in his hand, "Just talkin' 'bout these…Yusuke was tellin' me they were a…uh…physical sign of Yukina's grief….yeah…that's it…."

"Riiiight…." His sister replied; her pale eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Are you up to something again Souta?"

"Who me?" He replied with a wide grin, "What could I possibly be up to? Um… what should we do with these? I mean, if they're valuable, I don't wanna leave 'em lying around where any Joe-Shmo can pick 'em up….."

"Hm, good point," Kagome muttered, allowing herself to be distracted. She'd find out soon enough what those two brats were talking about. "Would you mind picking them up and bringing them inside? I'm going to get dinner started and make some tea. You'll stay for dinner, right Yusuke?"

"Uh….sure…. Kieko is working late tonight, so it was a 'fend for yourself' night anyway…"

"Good. I'll make sure to make enough so you can take a plate home for her then…." Kagome stated over her shoulder at the two women disappeared into the house.

"Good cover, man," Yusuke muttered, as they started collecting the stones, "That was too close; I was sure she had us there…."

"Oh I'm sure she knows we're up to something," Souta replied, making sure to keep his voice down, "But she can't prove anything yet, so we're safe. Just gotta be more careful in the future."

* * *

><p>Later that night, as Yukina crested the stairs of Genkai's shrine; she was unsurprised to feel the familiar comforting warmth of her brother's energy leaning against his favorite tree.<p>

"Good evening, brother," she greeted, "How are you feeling?"

Dark garnet eyes cast an annoyed side-long glare at her; Yukina barely suppressed a smirk.

"Come inside," she said, pointedly ignoring the glare, "I'll patch you up and fix you some dinner."

Reluctantly, and admittedly much slower then he normally was, Hiei got to his feet and followed his sister into the temple.

Flicking the light on in the kitchen, Yukina instructed him to sit at the table while she placed a covered plate into the dark boxy contraption called a 'mi-cro-wave'.

Turning back to him, Yukina didn't say a word as she gently examined his wounds. He could feel her cool energy sink into his skin, dulling and soothing the burning pain that had seemed to get worse as the night wore on.

"There," she said softly, "You're lucky they bullet just passed through; if it had gotten stuck, you would be a in a lot more pain then you are now. I healed them as best I could, but they'll be sore. I couldn't get all the holy energy out of them, but hopefully in a few days it'll fade, and if not, we might have to talk to Kagome and see what she can do."

Hiei scowled at that idea.

"It's either ask her for help, or possibly go lame," Yukina retorted, giving him a cool look, "Your choice."

Hiei's scowl deepened; but he resisted the urge to growl at his sister.

"Here," she said, placing a bowl of hot oden in from of him.

"Since when do you make oden?" he asked, taking a bite and savoring the rich flavors.

"I don't," Yukina replied, "Kagome does, though she's promised to teach me how to make it. She always makes a bunch and sends it home with everyone. She sent some home with Yusuke too, for Kieko."

Hiei paused in eating, "Yukina…if this is yours…"

"It's not," she replied, holding up a second and third covered bowl that she was putting into the refrigerator, "She sent home some for all of us. Genkai, me…and you."

Hiei froze, starring down at the bowl before him, its delicious scent teasing his nose and making his mouth water for another bite. Still, he made no move to take another mouthful.

"Oh for pity sake," Yukina said, noticing him starring at the bowl, "She didn't poison it."

"I tried to kill her," Hiei stated, setting down the bowl and his utensils, "Why would she make me anything?"

Yukina shrugged, "Kagome's weird like that apparently. I wish you'd give her a chance…."

"Yukina….."

"I know, I know…." She grumbled, precariously close to pouting, "She's a Miko and dangerous, yada yada yada…. I know….Still; she'd really nice and has been a great friend to me. It would mean a lot to me if you just give her a chance…"

"For you….," he relented, pushing to his feet, "But if she hurts you, in any way, her life is forfeit."

Then, in a blur of shadow, he was gone. Yukina was both relieved and disappointed. Relieved that at least for now, her brother wouldn't be trying to kill her best friend….and yet, disappointed that he was upset enough that he felt the need to leave.

With a sigh she turned to place the bag she had carried the food home in into the cupboard. Turning back to get Hiei's bowl to put back in the refrigerator for later she paused and grinned.

The bowl was gone.

Smirking, Yukina finished tidying up, a small spark of hope in her heart.

Hiei may not trust Kagome, he may not like what she was or that she was associating with his sister…. But apparently, he liked her cooking.

It was a start….

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><p><strong>AN: ARRRRRGGGH...this chapter was such a pain in the ass to write. I've redone it at least twice, left, come back, worked on it some more...and it still bugs me. Maybe it's because Hiei is hurt and a little OOC... IDK. But I've been sitting on this chapter since my last post simply because I didn't like it... it's better now, but still not one of my better chapters. *sigh* oh well. It's done... I hope ya'll like it. As always REVIEW! **


	12. Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN IY or YYH**

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><p><strong>Good Man<strong>

Chapter 12

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><p>Days passed and slowly Hiei regained a full range of movement in his shoulder and leg again. Both injuries still ached; but he could shove the pain down and compartmentalize it.<p>

It wasn't the first time that he had to do so.

As it was, he accepted his sister's invitation to stay; after all, as much as he hated to admit it, the Detective had made a solid point that Hiei was in no condition to return to the Makai.

Plus, this gave Hiei an opportunity to study the interaction between his sister and the Miko.

It also seemed, to give the Miko a chance to study him….

Which she was doing right then…

He cast a glance around as he moved through his forms, forcing his body to stretch the sore and aching muscles of his injured limbs.

He could sense eyes on him and he could feel the girl's energy as she had come up the temple stairs; yet, as she had crested the stairs, her energy had condensed and nearly disappeared.

Yet the sensation of being watched had continued.

An annoyed growl rumbled in his throat; was she playing with him? Did she honestly think that he hadn't sensed her?

He had to concentrate more then he cared to; but he did find her, the Miko's energy hadn't disappeared, it had simply diminished…. Clearly this woman was used to hiding.

Not for long though….

* * *

><p>.<p>

Kagome had sensed the familiar aggressive energy of Yukina's brother as she moved up the stairs; fear had soured her stomach and nearly made her turn and run.

However, pride and pure stubbornness had kept her feet moving up the stairs rather than back down.

Yukina had told her that her brother would be staying; so really, it shouldn't have been a surprise.

Yukina had also said that Hiei had agreed to a tentative peace for the moment; which Kagome didn't believe in the slightest.

Souta had wounded him; his pride wouldn't allow for such an insult to go unpunished. It was only a matter of time before he tried again; this time though, she knew he wouldn't be caught unprepared.

Kagome knew better, this 'peace' between them was merely a chance for him to heal and study them without risk of being purified.

Kagome knew this; yet she had agreed to come to the temple to train with Yukina anyway.

Seriously, how did she survive her time in the Feudal Era? Only someone as ridiculously idiotic as her would go up to a temple where a hostile and extremely aggressive daiyoukai was living.

Clearly she had hit her head one to many times in the last few years.

That was the only explanation for her apparent rampant stupidity.

Yet… up she went.

As she crested the stairs, her attention was instantly drawn by the black clad figure in the center of the temple courtyard.

He was fast, she had to give him that; faster than she had seen in anyone other than, perhaps, Sesshomaru.

It wasn't the first time she had to deal with super-fast demons, she reminded herself. Most of the creatures she had faced during her travels were far faster than her.

How many times had she gone to run only to have said creature suddenly appear directly in front of her?

Too damn many to count.

So what was one more?

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of sun glinting off steel; before she could move or even flinch, there was a solid THUNK against the tree she was leaning against.

The long silvery length of a katana wobbled next to her face; beyond it, was the smug and barely-leashed violence of ruby eyes.

Vermilion clashed with sapphire as the two opposing forces glared at each other; both searching the others for something and finding it lacking.

Kagome didn't move as he stalked towards her; it took all over her control to keep her heart beating at a steady rate.

She couldn't, wouldn't, show this bastard fear; she had faced far worse monsters in her life then him.

"Do not play games with me, Priestess," He growled, casually pulling his blade from where it had imbedded in the tree, "You won't like the results."

"Who's playing?" she retorted, "I'm here to visit your sister…you're the one throwing swords around."

"Try to approach me undetected again," he stated coldly, "Next time I won't miss…."

Before she could come up with a clever retort, the short bastard was gone. Kagome glowered in the direction she could feel the little shit's energy disappearing.

He thought she was trying to sneak up on him? How dumb did he really think she was?

Wait, no, scratch that…. She was human…if he was anything like the other daiyoukai she had met in the past… then yea, he probably believed she was too stupid to live.

Brushing off the encounter, Kagome headed across the courtyard and into the temple.

"Knock, knock," she called, as she glanced around, "Yukina?"

"In here, Kagome!" Yukina's voice called from the kitchen; surprise, surprise.

"Good morning!" the chipper ice maiden called, "Have you eaten yet?"

"A little," Kagome replied as she made her way into the room to sit down, "But if you've cooked, you know I'll eat."

"Wonderful!" she replied, piling a plate high with food. Kagome smirked; it was obvious that the korime had yet to get out of the habit of cooking for a large group of people. Or maybe she was just use to cooking for demons with ravenous appetites?

"Hmm…." She muttered, her pale eyes glancing outside.

"He's headed up the mountain," Kagome stated, surprising her friend, "I think my presence offended him."

"Oh…he left without breakfast…." Yukina stated sadly as she turned around with another plate; her eyes widened as she looked at Kagome, "Kags, what happened to your face?!"

"Huh?" she replied, intelligently, "What do you mean?"

"You honestly don't feel that?" Yukina demanded, reaching over to gently touch her cheek. Immediately there was a sharp sting at her touch.

"Ow…" Kagome grumbled, reaching up to feel the area herself, surprised to find a long thin scratch along her cheekbone, "Well...now I do..."

Apparently Hiei hadn't missed completely with his little flying sword act. Jackass.

"Hmmm," Kagome muttered, more to herself then to her friend, "Clearly we need to work on shorty's 'hello'….."

"Hiei did that?!" the korime snarled, eyes suddenly glowing; the cup in her hand suddenly shattering into a gazillion frozen pieces of ceramic and coffee.

"Easy there, killer," Kagome laughed, taking the now useless handle from her friends grasp, "It seems your brother thought I was sneaking up on him…he made a point of letting me know that he knew I was there…."

Slowly the furious glow faded from her friend's eyes, "Still," she muttered darkly, "He promised…"

Kagome stood and got the broom from the corner and started sweeping up the frozen mess on the floor, thankful that it had yet to thaw.

"I'm alive and reasonably unhurt," Kagome stated with a shrug as she swept everything into a dust pan and threw it away, "I didn't even realize he drew blood until I got in here…. So no harm no foul."

"You are being very generous," Genkai's gravelly voice said from the door.

Again Kagome shrugged, "Had he wanted to kill me, he could have," she said, "The fact he didn't means that he's holding to his word. Dealing with demons is always an iffy business…. I've learned to take what I get."

"Still," Yukina protested again, her lips pressed in a hard thin line, "He promised to behave; threatening you isn't 'behaving'."

Kagome sighed and looked at her friend; it wasn't the first time that she realized that Yukina simply did NOT think like a demon. Perhaps it was because – as demons went- korime were a passive species? Maybe it was because she was female? In Kagome's experience male demons tended to be far more aggressive than females….. Maybe it was the lack of testosterone?

"Yukina, he's a demon," she said, "With the exception of you and a few others, ever demon I have ever encountered was violent. It's in their nature. Even InuYasha, who I love dearly, threatened to…and even attempted to kill me on several occasions. Demons are cold, vicious and ruthless…. That's just what they are…. It's like expecting a shark to be something other than a shark. They are built to be the ultimate predators…. Everything about them is created to kill and destroy. How you turned out to be such a sweetheart I have no idea. Sure, there are demons out there that have some compassion – but they are few and far between. Until you earn a demons respect; they have no use for you. So, honestly, if all your brother does is threaten, I'll be a happy camper."

"You think he'll do more?" Yukina asked; her eyes resigned.

"I think that we injured his pride," she replied, "And that is unforgivable to most demons. The fact that he even considered a truce is a testament of how much he cares for you… so perhaps that will give me enough time to earn his respect. If Yusuke was able to earn his respect; then given enough time, so should I." Then, just to get a grin out of her friend; she added with a wink, "Besides, I'm cuter then Urameshi, so it shouldn't take nearly as long…."

Just as she had hoped, the remark startled a laugh out of her friend.

"Conceited much?" the korime teased; Kagome grinned, shrugging on false bravo like a coat.

"Oh come on," she laughed, giving her hair a playful fluff, "I'm allowed a few conceited moments….. Especially if it's true…."

In reality, Kagome was well aware that she was not anything special. With the exception of Hojo, the only males who had ever expressed interest in her had wanted her due to her ability to sense jewel shards – not because she was any particular treasure.

Combined with the fact that she had been competing for her crushes affections against a dead woman….. And constantly compared to said dead woman…. It was a small wonder she had some self-esteem issues.

No matter how fake her confidence had been; the ruse had worked and her friend's smile once again lite the room.

* * *

><p>.<p>

It was well into the evening before Kagome felt the fire demons signature approach. Tracking him though, was like attempting to track a fire-fly; one moment she could sense him, then he seemed to disappear only to reappear at a different point.

She grinned at the thought as she knelt to gather tomatoes from the temple's garden.

_How oddly appropriate…. _She though chuckling at her own twisted cleverness, _He was always flitting about like a fire-fly…_

She knew if he ever heard her call him that; her death would be slow and torturous. Still, it was hard to be frightened of someone she likened to a 'fire-fly'…

She forced herself not to react as he landed silently on the temple roof; she could easily see his silhouette reflected in the koi pond beside her.

The quarter moon that provided her enough light to gather a few vegetables for sinner; cast the demon in shadowy contrasts. Just as that night in the alley so many months ago; the shadows seemed to cling to him. His eyes glowed a familiar demonic red in the darkness.

He crouched above her like a gargoyle; her shoulders itched from his intense gaze.

Was he being deliberately obvious? Or did he really believe that she couldn't sense him? She scowled at the reflection in the pool.

Fool probably did believe she was clue-less to his presence.

* * *

><p>Hiei watched at the priestess moved slowly through the shadowed garden that Kurama and Yukina and painstakingly worked on every spring.<p>

She moved quietly; her steps barely making a sound on the tiny white pebbles that lined the garden paths.

She didn't seem to notice his presence as she knelt to add some of the red fruits to her basket; almost as an afterthought, she sat on the edge of the pond, her fingers lazily trailing in the water's surface. From his vantage point, he could clearly see the flashes of white, red and orange as the koi danced around the ripples her fingers made.

He sneered; pathetic…how powerful could the girl possibly be if she couldn't sense his presence? If he wanted, he could kill her now and save himself future headaches….

His hand tightened along the hilt of his katana, the temptation to eliminate the meager threat she posed riding him hard.

Closing his eyes, he forced his hand away from his blade; as much as he wanted to kill the girl…. He had given his sister his word. Ordinarily he would have no qualms breaking his word; but he refused to become a liar in his sister's eyes. His twin asked him for so little; he couldn't bear to disappoint her in something so…trivial.

He glanced back down at the human woman, surprised to see her looking directly up at him. A smirk curled her lips as a single eyebrow arched upward; annoyed at being discovered, he glowered at the priestess.

Unperturbed, the woman's smirk grew as she blew a mocking kiss towards him before deliberately turning away and disappearing back into the temple.

A low rumble vibrated his throat at her blatant challenge. The harsh sound of wood splintering broke him from his red haze; glancing down, he realized his claws had sunk into the worn wood of the temples roof.

He took a deep calming breath, forcing his temper back down; he could sense Yusuke and Kurama coming up the temple stairs….it wouldn't do for those two to see him in such a state.

Already Yusuke watched him with a strange glint in his eyes; the Mazoku was plotting something, of that he was sure.

He leapt from the roof to the branches of his favorite tree; wrapping his disinterest and boredom around him like a cloak.

She wanted to challenge him did she? Fine.

The priestess and he would have their contest of wills; but not tonight, and not with an audience.

The smirk that curled his lips was cold and vicious as he thought of the possibilities.

.

By the time that Yusuke and Kurama crested the stairs, the smile had vanished and they were greeted by Hiei's typical cool distain.

However Kurama had known Hiei far to long to miss the strange glint in his friends hard gaze whenever his eyes settled on the priestess. The fox smirked; Hiei was planning something, and whatever it was... he would be there to bare witness to it.

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><p><strong>AN: I once again apologize for taking so long to update. The last month has been fairly hectic, and now the Reading Program has begun at my work, so I won't have the time I normally would to write. Also, it doesn't help that my mild obsession for the game Dragon Age 2 has been getting in the way. What can I say, I love dark broody characters with tragic tortured pasts...and if any of you have ever played DA2 you know a certain white haired elf fits that bill perfectly. So sadly my muse has been off playing with elves and dwarves, dragons, mages and Templars. I know... I know... like I need any more distractions. I can't help it though; I'm a slave to my muse...and apparently she has ADD... so yea... If I ever get more then a few random scenes written I may post some of the DA2 fics. Would anyone even be interested in reading those? It doesn't seem like that fanfiction genre has a very large reader pool. Oh well... I'm off to do...who knows what. As always, please remember to REVIEW!**


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